The Cheltenham Gold Cup runners 2024 are down to 16 entries after the latest declaration stage, with the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs, who won the race last year, topping the betting for the Cheltenham Festival showcase race on Friday March 15th.
What Date & Time Is The 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup?
📅Time/Date: 3:30pm (Friday 15th March 2024)
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
💰 Purse/Winner: £351,687.50
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV
See the full 2024 Cheltenham Festival running order, race times and schedule.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners 2024: Can Galopin Des Champs Win Again?
The latest declaration stage sees 20 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners stand their ground (see below). Amongst the entries were the current Gold Cup champion Galopin Des Champs, who beat Bravemansgame by 7-lengths in the race 12 months ago.
Galopin Des Champs had some horse racing fans questioning him after losing twice since his famous Gold Cup result last March.
However, he bounced back in great fashion to win the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas by 23-lengths.
A win that prompted the best UK horse racing betting sites to slash his Gold Cup 2024 odds and is now the clear favourite ahead of the March 15th renewal.
Galopin Des Champs Tops The 2024 Gold Cup Betting
Galopin Des Champs took a tumble at the final fence in the Turners Novices’ Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival when 12 lengths clear. But made up for that last year when romping away with the Gold Cup.
The Willie Mullins-trained 8 year-old travelled well in the race 12 months ago and under a superb ride from jockey Paul Townend came home 7-lengths clear the field.
Since that win many horse racing followers thought Galopin Des Champs was going to be ‘bombproof’ in his next races, but this wasn’t to be the case. He was a shock loser as the 4/11 favourite in the Punchestown Gold Cup and then returned this season to be beaten in the John Durkan Memorial Chase.
Both defeats came at the hands of Fastorslow, who he’s expected to take on in the Gold Cup again in March.
With these losses, Galopin Des Champs now had punters questioning if that Cheltenham Gold Cup had left a mark, and he was on a recovery mission in the Savills Chase over Christmas.
However, the Mullins star chaser didn’t disappoint and put his doubters right after a scintillating 23-length win over many people’s ‘new kid on the block’ Gerri Colombe (watch below).
Galopin Des Champs The 2024 Gold Cup Favourite
As a result, the best betting sites cut his Gold Cup odds for Cheltenham and is now the clear favourite to retain his title in March. If Galopin Des Champs can win again he’ll join Al Boum Photo and Best Mate as the only recent back-to-back winners in the race since 2003.
Galopin Des Champs could run next in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival on 3rd February, or connections could opt to just go straight to Cheltenham after that facile Savills Chase win.
Trainer Willie Mullins will be hoping for his fourth Gold Cup win since 2019, having also won the race twice with Al Boum Photo (2019/20) and, of course, last year with Galopin Des Champs.
Fastorslow Looks The Biggest Threat To Galopin Des Champs
This Martin Brassil-trained 8 year-old will be the biggest danger to Galopin Des Champs, having beaten last year’s Gold Cup winner twice before.
Fastorslow lowered the colours of Galopin Des Champs in both the Punchestown Gold Cup and John Durkan Chase (watch below). He bypassed another possible clash with the Mullins horse in the Savills Chase, but that was maybe due to the track. Fastorslow doesn’t have the best of records at Leopardstown.
In contrast, however, his form at Cheltenham is very good – despite not winning there as yet.
The 8 year-old was runner-up to Corach Rambler (neck) in the Ultima Chase last season and in 2022 was another close second – this time in the Coral Cup.
He’s going to be a very popular alternative to Galopin Des Champs as he looks to carry on his top record over current Gold Cup hero.
Can Shishkin Bounce Back From His King George Disappointment?
Shishkin is not always the most straightforward but we all know he’s got ability.
This Joe Donnelly-owned 10 year-old has won 13 of his 19 career starts and looked like adding to that in the King George Chase on Boxing Day until unseating Nico De Boinville two out.
He landed the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival in 2020 and also took the 2021 Arkle Novices’ Chase (watch below) – so has winning form at the meeting.
Last season he also ran a blinder to be second in the Ryanair Chase too and after that won the Aintree Bowl Chase at the Grand National Meeting in April.
Shishkin will have his backers but will also have many ruling him out – based on his growing reputation of being not the most reliable. Don’t forget he also refused to race at Ascot earlier this season too. But has since bounced back to win the Denman Chase at Newbury in February.
Trainer Nicky Henderson has won the Gold Cup twice before – Long Run (2011) and Bobs Worth (2013).
Gerri Colombe Still Expected To Have His Backers
Robcour’s Gerri Colombe had been high up the betting for the Gold Cup for much of the summer and his odds hardened further with a late rally to win the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal in November.
But his Gold Cup bid hit a bump in the road when next seen and trounced 23-lengths by Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase over Christmas.
This Gordon Elliott runner will, therefore, need to bounce back from that run. However, some may cling to the fact that was his first run at Leopardstown and maybe the track just didn’t suit.
What we do know though is that he’ll be fine at Cheltenham having been a fast-finishing second in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (watch below). Trainer Gordon Elliott’s only other Gold Cup win came with Don Cossack in 2016.
Gold Cup Runner-up Bravemansgame Could Also Be Back For More
Last year’s Gold Cup runner-up Bravemansgame is developing a habit of picking up silver medals at the moment. The Paul Nicholls-trained 9 year-old has added three more since the Gold Cup, including in the King George Chase over Christmas.
He got chinned in the closing stages by the fast-finishing Hewick at Kempton and before that went down to Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase. Two horses he’ll be taking on again in the Gold Cup.
Many also question whether Cheltenham suits Bravemansgame and with no wins at Prestbury Park (2 runs) the jury is still out on that. That said, he still ran a cracker to be second in the race last year and a repeat of that would see him as a big contender for a place again.
Winning the Gold Cup, however, is another matter as he’s developed into a horse that seems to find a few too good these days as let’s not forget he also went down (2nd) to Gentlemansgame (has Gold Cup entry) in the Charlie Hall Chase this season.
Trainer Paul Nicholls has won the Gold Cup four times (Kauto Star 2, Denman, See More Business), with the last coming with Kauto Star in 2009. The Ditcheat handler needs just one more win in the race to equal the haul of Tom Dreaper, who is the winning-most trainer in the race.
King George Hero Hewick Looking For Another Shock Win
Last year’s King George Chase winner Bravemansgame ran second in the Gold Cup, so we know that Kempton Boxing Day race is often a good guide to the Cheltenham feature.
Therefore, Hewick, who came with an unbelievable late run to collar Bravemansgame and Allaho at Kempton over Christmas (watch below), will be the latest horse to try and complete the famous double.
The last horse to do so was Long Run in 2010/11.
Hewick, who is trained by the popular John Joseph-Hanlon, is famed for being a bargain buy (€850) but has more than repaid that having won his connections over £600k.
In addition to his King George win, Hewick was also the 2022 American Grand National winner. But with that race run over 2m5f and over hurdles, it’s not quite the same as the Aintree version!
The Irish raider will want better or good ground to be seen at his best, like he had at Kempton, but he was only in the process of running well in the race last season – until falling two out.
Okay, he’d probably not have won that day, but there was a chance he’d have been placed. And after the way he finished in the King George we know the stiff Cheltenham hill will be right up his street.
Grand National Winner Corach Rambler Looking To Bounce Back
Another of the Cheltenham Gold Cup runners 2024 could be last season’s Grand National winner – Corach Rambler.
This Lucinda Russell inmate had a season to remember last term having taken the Ultima Chase at the Cheltenham Festival (watch below) and then adding the Aintree Grand National to his CV.
However, since his famous day in the Aintree sun, he’s disappointed twice. Once at Kelso in October and then trailed in third (of 4) in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.
Therefore, like so many National winners in recent years, the jury is out as to whether that race has left a mark. The good news for Corach Rambler though is that he’s back to Cheltenham. A track he loves, having won the last two Ultima Chases. While his overall record at Prestbury Park reads 1-1-1, which is not too shabby!
Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners 2024 In Full
Away from the leading players that include the current 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs, there are a total of 20 runners still entered for the Blue Riband race on Friday March 15th.
- Galopin Des Champs
- Bravemansgame
- Corach Rambler
- Datsalrightgino
- Envoi Allen
- Conflated
- Fastorslow
- Ahoy Senor
- Gentlemansgame
- Gerri Colombe
- Hewick
- Royale Pagaille
- Jungle Boogie
- L’Homme Presse
- Protektorat
- Nassalam
- Monkfish
- Shishkin
- Stay Away Fay
- The Real Whacker
Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners 2024 and Latest Betting
See below the latest betting odds ahead of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday 15th March 2024.
- GALOPIN DES CHAMPS EVS
- FASTORSLOW 9/2
- SHISHKIN 11/2
- GERRI COLOMBE 10/1
- HEWICK 16/1
- BRAVEMANSGAME 12/1
- L’HOMME PRESSE 12/1
- HEWICK 14/1
- CORACH RAMBLER 20/1
- GENTLEMANSGAME 20/1
- THE REAL WHACKER 25/1
- AHOY SENOR 33/1
- MONKFISH 33/1
- NASSALAM 40/1
- JUNGLE BOOGIE 50/1
- PROTEKTORAT 50/1
- CONFLATED 66/1
All odds are subject to change
Recent Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners
- 2023 – GALOPIN DES CHAMPS (7/5 fav)
- 2022 – A PLUS TARD (11/10 fav)
- 2021 – MINELLA INDO (9/1)
- 2020 – AL BOUM PHOTO (10/3 fav)
- 2019 – AL BOUM PHOTO (12/1)
- 2018 – NATIVE RIVER (5/1)
- 2017 – SIZING JOHN (7/1)
- 2016 – DON COSSACK (9/4 fav)
- 2015 – CONEYGREE (7/1)
- 2014 – LORD WINDERMERE (20/1)
WATCH: Galopin Des Champs Winning The 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup
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