2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips, Odds and News

Defending champion, A Plus Tard headed a classy list of 27 chasers who've been entered in this year's Gold Cup. Despite his flop in the Betfair Chase, Henry De Bromhead's star remains the second-favourite to retain his crown, with John Durkan Chase winner Galopin Des Champs the 6/4 favourite with bookmakers bet365.

The highest-placed of the home runners in the Gold Cup betting is Brown Advisory Chase winner L'Homme Presse, who was last seen falling at Kempton when booked for second in the King George. Bravemansgame was slashed for the Gold Cup following his victory in that prestigious Grade One. As was Protektorat, after Dan Skelton's star bolted up in the Betfair Chase.

Noble Yeats has built on his 2022 Grand National triumph by winning the Many Clouds Chase this term. Emmet Mullins has handed his Aintree hero a Gold Cup entry, and Noble Yeats could be joined in the race by fellow Irish raider Hewick, who struck in the Galway Plate during the summer.

Along with Galopin Des Champs, Willie Mullins could be represented by National Hunt Chase winner Stattler, Punchestown Grade One winner Capodanno, two-time Cheltenham Festival winner Monkfish and consistent chaser Franco De Port. 

Gordon Elliott's hopes lie at the feet of Savills Chase winner Conflated, who could be joined in the Gold Cup by stablemates Galvin and Fury Road. Henry De Bromhead will run both A Plus Tard and another former winner in Minella Indo.

Ahoy Senor, Royale Pagaille and Eldorado Allen have been entered up by British connections. As has two-time Cheltenham winner Shishkin. Frodon, Coole Cody, The Big Breakaway, Ga Law, Sounds Russian and The Real Whacker round off the Gold Cup entries.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most prestigious prize in all of National Hunt racing. 

The Gold Cup is run on the New Course at Prestbury Park. It's open to all chasers, and run over a grueling trip of three miles and two-and-a-half furlongs.

The first recorded running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup actually took place in 1819. At that stage, the Gold Cup was a flat race, and run over three miles on Cleeve Hill.

In 1924, the Cheltenham Gold Cup was switched to fences, and took pride of place in the center of the card on the final day of the Festival Festival.

The first horse to thrust their name up in lights in the Gold Cup was the legendary Golden Miller. Basil Briscoe's star won the Gold Cup five years in a row between 1932 and '36, while also winning the Grand National at Aintree in 1934.

The Cheltenham Festival, this the Gold Cup, was interrupted on several occasions during World War I and World War II.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup's popularity in Ireland grew massively in Ireland during the 1940s. Tom Dreaper trained the 1946 winner, Price Regent in 1946. Two years's later, Vincent O'Brien's Cottage Rake won for the first time, before landing a hat-trick of Gold Cup wins in the two subsequent seasons.

In 1958, Kerstin became just the second mare to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Only two other mares have achieved that feat since, the most famous of them being Dawn Run, who struck under Jonjo O'Neill for Paddy Mullins in 1986, three years after winning the Champion Hurdle.

Arkle dominated jumps racing throughout the 1960s. Tom Dreaper's star won the Gold Cup in 1964, '65 and '66, cementing his legacy as the greatest horse in the history of National Hunt racing.

L'Escargot claimed back-to-back Gold Cup wins at the start of the 1970s. Burrough Hill Lad scored in 1984, five year's before Desert Orchid claimed a popular victory in the 1989 edition of the Gold Cup.

The following season saw the biggest shock in the history of the Gold Cup, as 100/1 outsider, Norton's Coin handed little-known Welsh trainer, Sirrel Griffiths a fairytale victory.

AP McCoy celebrated the first of his two Gold Cup wins in 1997, guiding Mr Mulligan to victory. Mick Fitzgerald struck on See More Business two years later, handing Paul Nicholls his first win in the Gold Cup.

2002 saw Henrietta Knight's Best Mate claim his first Gold Cup win. Best Mate would follow up in '03 and '04, joining the illustrious list of three-time Gold Cup winners.

The rivalry between Kauto Star and Denman dominated National Hunt racing in the late 2000s. Paul Nicholls' stablemates went toe-to-toe in three Gold Cups. 

Denman overcame his rival and defending Champion in 2008, before Kauto Star turned the tables on his stablemate the following season, becoming the first horse to regain the Gold Cup in the process.

Nicky Henderson saddled the Gold Cup winner in 2011 and '13, with Long Run and Bob's Worth winning either side of McCoy's second victory on Synchronised.

In 2015, Mark Bradstock's Coneygree became the first novice to win the Gold Cup, powering up Cleeve Hill under an excellent ride by Nico De Boinville.

Irish Trainers have won four of the last five Gold Cups, with Colin Tizzard's Native River interrupting the Irish success in 2018.

Gordon Elliott and Jessica Harrington celebrated their first Gold Cup triumphs in 2016 and 2017, with Don Cossack and Sizing John coming out on top.

After years of waiting, Willie Mullins finally got his hands on the Gold Cup in 2019, as Al Boum Photo scored a surprise win.

In 2020, Al Boum Photo became the first horse since Best Mate to win back-to-back Gold Cups, holding off Santini and Lostintranslation in a thrilling finish to Cheltenham's showpiece event.

Al Boum Photo's bid to win three Gold Cup was thwarted by Henry De Bromhead in 2021, as Minella Indo beat stablemate A Plus Tard, with the defending champion crossing the line third.

A Plus Tard went one better the following year, helping Rachael Blackmore become the first female jockey to lift the famous Gold Cup. 2023 saw favourite Galopin Des Champs run out a hugely impressive winner of Cheltenham's most prestigious race.