Start of the season odds and tips for the 2023 Gold Cup
This Grade One is the feature championship race on day four of the Cheltenham Festival
A Plus Tard handed Rachael Blackmore her first Gold Cup win in 2022
Galopin Des Champs, Allaho and L'Homme Presse sit prominently in the market
Ahoy Senor is our early value bet at 10/1
Rachael Blackmore on A Plus Tard celebrates winning The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase race during day four of the Cheltenham Festival. (Getty)
History was made at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022, where Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to ride the Gold Cup winner. A Plus Tard - runner-up to stablemate Minella Indo 12 months previous - surged up Cleeve hill in tremendous fashion, cementing Blackmore's place in the record books with a power-packed performance.
Despite his dominance in the race last season, A Plus Tard is only the second favourite in the initial Cheltenham betting. Here are the current 2023 Gold Cup odds and an early Cheltenham Festival tip.
A Plus Tard turned what looked to be a wide-open Gold Cup into a one-horse race in 2021/22. Blackmore's mount travelled and jumped beautifully throughout. Approaching the final fence, Blackmore asked for a serious effort and Henry De Bromhead's charge took off, putting 15 length between himself and Minella Indo on the run to the line.
De Bromhead's will take his star down the same path this term, running in the Betfair Chase and the Savills' Chase before heading to Cheltenham fresh. A Plus Tard will have several talented, second-season chasers to deal with this year, but still, 4/1 about such a brilliant Gold Cup winner seems very generous.
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Galopin Des Champs was one of the most talked-about novice chasers heading into last season. Back-to-back victories at Leopardstown only intensified that hype heading into Cheltenham last year, where Willie Mullins opted to keep his star over two-and-a-half miles.
Paul Townend's mount had Bob Olinger floundering 20 lengths in his wake approaching the last in the Turners' Novices' Chase, only to take a crashing fall at the final flight. Galopin Des Champs righted that wrong at Fairyhouse four weeks later, where he bolted up in the Ryanair Gold Cup.
It would be a huge surprise if Willie Mullins wasn't already plotting a path to the Gold Cup with this supremely talented six-year-old. Whether he deserves his place at the very top of the ante-post betting - having not run over further than 21 furlongs over fences - I'm not so sure.
Paul Townend on Galopin Des Champs clear the last but later part ways in The Turners Novices’ Chase. (Getty)
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Many called for Allaho to be sent down the Gold Cup route following his magnificent victory in Punchestown's equivalent back in April. Personally, I can't see it happening.
Seeing out three miles at Punchestown is completely different to three-and-a-quarter miles around Cheltenham racecourse. Allaho has been sent to the Ryanair Chase the last two years because Mullins doesn't want to run him over the Gold Cup trip. His owners, Cheveley Park Stud already have the reigning king of Cheltenham, A Plus Tard on their books. They have no reason to step Allaho up into Gold Cup territory.
L'Homme Presse claimed his fifth victory on the bounce at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, beating Ahoy Senor in the Brown Advisory Chase. Ahoy Senor turned the tables on his Cheltenham conqueror when they met in the Milmay at Aintree three weeks later and both are likely to head down the Gold Cup route this term.
2021 Brown Advisory winner, Monkfish was forced to sit out last season through injury and Willie Mullins will be hoping he'll resume his progress when he eventually returns this term. Mullins could also point impressive National Hunt Chase winner, Stattler and Punchestown Champion Chase winner, Capodanno at Cheltenham's showpiece event.
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Hewick has made mighty progress over the past 12 months and Shark O'Hanlon believes his Galway Plate winner could be competitive in next year's Gold Cup. At the other end of the scale, we have a horse like Dusart, who remains unexposed over fences and remains open to any amount of progress. Nicky Henderson, too, could have a Gold Cup horse on his hands.
Protektorat ran a lovely race at Cheltenham 12 months ago and could return for a second crack at the feature race on day four of the Festival. As could Galvin and former winner, Minella Indo, who sit a long way adrift of the market leaders at the ante-post stage.
Farouk D'alene was travelling ominously well in the Brown Advisory before his fall at the second-last. He could represent Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown in the 2023 Gold Cup. Bravemansgame, Conflated, Bob Olinger and Gaillard Du Mesnil are also of interest at their current prices.
Derek Fox riding Ahoy Senor clear the last to win The Betway Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree. (Getty)
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I strongly considered picking Minella Indo as my ante-post bet. Henry De Bromhead's charge won the Gold Cup in 2021 and managed to finish second last year, despite a fairly poor season leading into the Festival.
The problem with Minella Indo, though, is his age. De Bromhead's star is nine-turning-ten this season and the Gold Cup has turned into a race for younger, up-and-coming horses. Minella Indo represents plenty of value at 40/1, but do I truly believe he can win a second Gold Cup? No, is the simple answer to that.
While 10/1 doesn't seem like the best value at this stage of the season, I can't pass over AHOY SENOR, who remains open to bags of improvement during his second season over fences.
Lucinda Russell's star made telling mistakes at practically every obstacle in the Brown Advisory Chase last season and was still only beaten three lengths by L'Homme Presse. Ahoy Senor had clearly improved for that run when the two met at Aintree and a cleaner round of jumping saw Derek Fox's mount run out a five-length winner over Fury Road, emphatically turning the table on L'Homme Presse - who was probably ready for a holiday by that point.
Ahoy Senor is already rated 161. Natural improvement alone could take him towards the 170 mark and I feel that Russell's stable star has the perfect mix of stamina, charisma and star-quality to win a race of this stature.
Verdict
Ahoy Senor ended last season on a huge high and remains open to tons of improvement during the upcoming National Hunt campaign. At this moment in time, he's my idea of the 2023 Gold Cup winner.
2023 Gold Cup Value Bet: Ahoy Senor Each-Way @10/1 at Boylesports - 10 Units
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Galopin Des Champs2023 Gold Cup FavouriteGET 7/2 HERE
