The first of two handicap races on day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the Coral Cup. This two-and-a-half-mile Grade Three was first run at this meeting in 1993, and it's a race that punters love to sink their teeth into.
The opening handicap on day two of the Cheltenham Festival is the Coral Cup. This two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle was created in 1993, and has been sponsored by bookmakers Coral throughout it's entire history.
The Coral Cup is known for being a wide-open race. This handicap has been won by top and bottom weights alike. Favourites have come out on top on numerous occasions, as have horses carrying prices in excess of 20/1 to post.
Olympian was the first winner of the Coral Cup in 1993, ridden by Peter Scudamore for legendary trainer, Martin Pipe. Pipe went on to win the race twice more in 1997 and 2002.
The leading trainer in this history of the Coral Cup is Nicky Henderson. Henderson secured the first of his four wins in 2010, before going on win it three times in the last seven years.
Top British trainers like Philip Hobbs, Paul Nicholls and Alan King have all won the Coral Cup. As have the likes of Donald McCain, Dr Richard Newland and Venetia Williams.
Irish trainers have enjoyed plenty of success in the race in recent seasons, with the names of Gold Cup winning trainers like Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Jessica Harrington standing out on the honours boards.
Davy Russell is the joint-most successful jockey in the Coral Cup, having ridden the winner in 2008, 2011 and '16.
In 2020, Barry Geraghty matched Russell's tally of three winners when he guided well-backed favourite Dame De Comganie to victory for Nicky Henderson and owner, JP McManus. Paul Hennessy then celebrated his first Cheltenham win as Heaven Help Us made all to win the Coral Cup.
Coral Cup Winners
Year
Winner
2023
Langer Dan
2022
Commander Of Fleet
2021
Heaven Help Us
2020
Dame De Compagnie
2019
William Henry
2018
Bleu Berry
2017
Supasundae
2016
Diamond King
2015
Aux Ptits Soins
2014
Whisper
2013
Medinas
2012
Son Of Flicka
2011
Carlito Brigante
2010
Spirit River
2009
Ninetieth Minute
2008
Naiad du Misselot
2007
Burntoakboy
2006
Sky's The Limit
2005
Idole First
2004
Monkerhostin
2003
Xenophon
2002
Ilnamar
Coral Cup FAQs
When is the Coral Cup?
The 2024 Coral Cup will take place at 2:50pm on day two of the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday 13th March.
What is the Coral Cup?
The Coral Cup is a handicap hurdle race that takes place on day two of the Cheltenham Festival. The Coral Cup is sponsored by bookmakers Coral, it holds Grade Three status and is run over a two-mile-five-furlong trip.
Where can I watch the Coral Cup?
The 2024 Coral Cup will be shown live on ITV Racing. If you want to stream the race live on your mobile or tablet then visit our Live Streaming page for more details.
