2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips, Odds and News

Galopin Des Champs is now best-priced at 5/4 to make it three Gold Cup victories in a row. Willie Mullins' star was beaten on his reappearance in the John Durkan, but returned to winning ways with another sparkling performance in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Fact To File jumped ahead of Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham betting after winning the John Durkan. Willie Mullins' star was put in his place by his stablemate at Leopardstown and last year's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase winner now sits a clear second in the market.

Gerri Colombe was comfortably beaten by Galopin Des Champs when second in last year's Gold Cup and was well-beaten on his only start so far this season at Down Royal. Monty's Star could only finish second to Embassy Gardens on his reappearance at Tramore on New Year's Day, but remains unmoved in the Gold Cup betting at 25/1.

King George VI Chase winner, Banbridge will be entered in the Champion Chase and the Ryanair, along with the Gold Cup. Spillane's Tower was the beaten-favourite in that Grade One at Kempton on Boxing Day, having finished a close second to Fact To File in the John Durkan. Betfair Chase runner-up, Grey Dawning remains on-course for the Gold Cup, despite a poor effort in the King George last time out.

Il Est Francais and Corbetts Cross can be backed at 33/1 for the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup, having finished second and sixth respectively in the King George. Other potential runners in the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival include two-time Betfair Chase winner Royale Pagaille, former King George winner Hewick, Kim Muir winner Inothewayurthinkin, Venetia Williams' L'Homme Presse, and another former winner of the Brown Advisory, The Real Whacker.

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.