Cheltenham Gold Cup 2021 Racecard
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the highlight of the Cheltenham Festival and the most prestigious race of the entire Jumps season. It takes place each year on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.
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3:05 Fri 19 Mar CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP Distance: 26f 70y Age: 5yo + Prize: £468,750 Going: Gd/Sft
NATIVE RIVER's victory at Sandown last month was a joy to behold and a repeat of that effort will see him go close. He looks cracking value at double-figure odds at time of writing and is taken to emulate the great Kauto Star and regain the crown 3 years on from his first victory. 2019 and 2020 winner Al Boum Photo seems sure to go well in his hat-trick bid. A Plus Tard is also a big player. |
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Analyst's Verdict| ENTRY FORM |
SILKS | HORSE JOCKEY & TRAINER |
AGE WGT |
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1 |
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1. AL BOUM PHOTO (FR) J: P. Townend T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland |
9 11-10 |
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| Seeking a fantastic hat-trick in Jump Racing's Blue Riband and returned with a bloodless success at Tramore on New Year's Day. Genuine, good jumper and very much the one to beat. | |||||
2 |
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2. A PLUS TARD (FR) J: Rachael Blackmore T: Henry de Bromhead, Ireland |
7 11-10 |
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| Better than ever fitted with tongue tie when scoring at Leopardstown (3m) over Christmas from Kemboy and boasts good Festival form (won the 2019 novice handicap chase/third in 2020 Ryanair). Respect. | |||||
3 |
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3. ASO (FR) J: Daryl Jacob T: Venetia Williams |
11 11-10 |
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| Placed twice in the Ryanair and back to form the last twice, chasing home Grand National-favourite Cloth Cap at Kelso 13 days ago. This is a whole different test and he'd be a surprising winner. | |||||
4 |
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4. BLACK OP (IRE) J: Tom Scudamore T: Tom George |
10 11-10 |
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| Not matched his Grade 1-winning hurdling exploits (second in 2018 Ballymore before scoring at Aintree) over fences, well held in the Ladbrokes Handicap/King George last 2 starts. Cheekpieces tried. | |||||
5 |
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5. CHAMP (IRE) J: Nico de Boinville T: Nicky Henderson |
9 11-10 |
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| Remarkable winner of the RSA last year (also second in the Ballymore in 2019) and shaped well after 11 months off/wind op at Newbury over inadequate trip. Big run likely if keeping the mistakes down. | |||||
6 |
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6. FRODON (FR) J: Bryony Frost T: Paul Nicholls |
9 11-10 |
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| 2019 Ryanair winner as good as ever this season, leading from pillar to post in the King George last time. Likely to give it an excellent shot from the front but this is probably a bridge too far. | |||||
7 |
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7. KEMBOY (FR) J: D. E. Mullins T: W. P. Mullins, Ireland |
9 11-10 |
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| Has had another good season in Ireland and gained his fourth Group 1 success in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month. Not the best jumper though, and hasn't shone at previous Festivals. | |||||
8 |
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8. LOSTINTRANSLATION (IRE) J: Robbie Power T: Colin Tizzard |
9 11-10 |
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| Has looked a shadow of the star of last season when winning the Betfair Chase and finishing third in this, checking out tamely after another wind op at Newbury last month. Huge revival needed. | |||||
9 |
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9. MINELLA INDO (IRE) J: J. W. Kennedy T: Henry de Bromhead, Ireland |
8 11-10 |
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| 2019 Albert Bartlett winner who was reeled in by Champ in last year's RSA and resumed this season with 2 victories. Faded behind Kemboy in the Irish Gold Cup last time but likely to fare better here. | |||||
10 |
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10. NATIVE RIVER (IRE) J: Richard Johnson T: Colin Tizzard |
11 11-10 |
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| 2018 winner bidding to become only the second horse to regain the crown and arrives in great heart after a superb win in Sandown Grade 2, jumping his rivals ragged. Good chance if in the same form. | |||||
11 |
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11. ROYALE PAGAILLE (FR) J: Charlie Deutsch T: Venetia Williams |
7 11-10 |
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| Improving in a big way and made it 3-3 this season with most impressive victory in Peter Marsh at Haydock (3m) 8 weeks ago. Stiffer test will suit and this novice is a very exciting contender. | |||||
12 |
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12. SANTINI J: Aidan Coleman T: Nicky Henderson |
9 11-10 |
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| Placed all 3 Festival visits, just failing to reel in Al Boum Photo 12 months ago, but not arriving in the same form this year, not fancying it behind Native River at Sandown. More severe headgear on. | |||||
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Betting Forecast : 11/4 2.75 AL BOUM PHOTO, 11/2 5.5 CHAMP, 13/2 6.5 A PLUS TARD, 9/1 9 ROYALE PAGAILLE, 12/1 12 NATIVE RIVER, 12/1 12 KEMBOY, 14/1 14 SANTINI, 14/1 14 MINELLA INDO, 16/1 16 FRODON, 50/1 50 LOSTINTRANSLATION, 300/1 300 ASO, 300/1 300 BLACK OP |
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The Cheltenham Gold Cup is run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse, over a distances of three miles and two and a half furlongs. There are a total of 22 fences to be jumped.
The first race known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup was run in July 1819, but it was a flat race contested over three miles.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup ran as a jumps race for the first time in March 1924 but did not start with the prestige it now has, overshadowed by the National Hunt Chase.
However, now is very different, and the legend of the Cheltenham Gold Cup has grown over the decades thanks to a raft of top-class winners that have written themselves into Cheltenham Gold Cup history.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup Trophy is awarded to the winning connections of the horse that wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The original Cheltenham Gold Cup will be presented to the winners of the festival highlight after the racecourse was reunited with the prize in 2018.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup trophy, first awarded 94 years ago, was offered to the course by a private owner who had kept it in a bank vault since the 1970s. It will replace the current Cheltenham Gold Cup, which has been in use since 1972.
The all-time most successful horse in the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Golden Miller, who won it a total of five times across five consecutive years – 1932 to 1936.
Past greats such as Golden Miller, Arkle and Desert Orchid, and modern heroes like Best Mate and Kauto Star, have all tasted victory in this race.
Since the turn of the century, Best Mate (2002-04) and Kauto Star (2007 and 2009) are the only ones to have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup more than once.
There have been several notable Cheltenham Gold Cup Results this century, including a hat-trick of wins in the race for the Henrietta Knight -trained Best Mate between 2002 and 2004.
Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup when winning the 2009 renewal, two years after landing his first win in the race.
Synchronised received a never-say-die ride from AP McCoy when winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2012, while Native River’s superior stamina won the day in 2018 when he stayed on best of all to deny Might Bite a first ever Cheltenham Gold Cup success.
In terms of Timeform ratings, the best winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup this century was Kauto Star, who produced a performance rated 184 on the Timeform scale when regaining the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown in 2009.
As well as a class act, Kauto Star was a thoroughly game racehorse and he could never be written off as he showed when still managing to whittle down Denman's advantage in the closing stages of the Gold Cup in 2008, despite also being under pressure a long way out on that occasion.
Denman beat him by seven lengths that day but Kauto Star turned the tables to win the 2009 edition by thirteen from his stablemate, in the process becoming the first horse to regain the Gold Cup (he won from Exotic Dancer in 2007).
Kauto Star is clearly entitled to be regarded as the best steeplechaser for more than forty years.
His thirteen-length victory over Denman in the 2009 Gold Cup was, in Timeform's view, the best performance in the race in that very long period.
There could have been no other choice for the accolade of Timeform Horse of the Year in 2009.
The top all-time jockey is Pat Taaffe, who won a total of four times – three times on Arkle (1964-66) and one on Fort Leney (1968).
The all-time leading trainer is Tom Dreaper, who won it a total of five times, Prince Regent (1946), Arkle (1964-66) and Fort Leney (1968).
As for the leading owner, Dorothy Paget won it seven times – five times with Golden Miller (1932-36), Roman Hackle (1940) and Mont Tremblant (1952).
Jim Culloty , who is the top jockey in the Gold Cup this century, has also won it as the trainer of Lord Windermere in 2014.
Henrietta Knight and Paul Nicholls are the most successful trainers this century, with Jim Lewis (Best Mate) being the most successful owner.
The longest Cheltenham Gold Cup Odds of any winner was recorded by Norton’s Coin in 1990.
Trained by Sirrel Griffiths and ridden by Graham McCourt, Norton’s Coin surprised nearly everyone at the Cheltenham Festival when winning at Cheltenham Gold Cup Odds of 100/1.
The shortest priced winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Arkle, when he won the third and last of his Cheltenham Gold Cups in 1966.
Such was Arkle's perceived superiority before the last of these victories that he was given a starting price of 1/10 (a £10 bet would have won £1).
The Cheltenham Gold Cup Race Card shows form for all of the leading Cheltenham Gold Cup runners.
Entries for the Cheltenham Gold Cup are first made in early January, and there is a chance for owners to either keep their horse in the Cheltenham Gold Cup for another fee, or scratch them from the entries, in February.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup Race Card shows form for all the leading Cheltenham Gold Cup runners.
The runners for this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup will go to post at 15:30 on the Friday of the Cheltenham Festival.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup field size varies greatly over time, with variants such as ground conditions and quality of opposition taken into consideration.
Arkle is one of the famous names associated with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but he only beat a total of 10 runners over the three years that he ran in the race.
In contrast, Silver Buck beat 21 other rivals when landing the 1982 renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the same number that War Of Attrition defeated in 2006.
Recent renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup have tended to feature between 13 and 16 runners.
The potential 2019 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners include Presenting Percy , who has won races at the last two Cheltenham Festivals, including the 2018 RSA Chase.
He has been given a sparing campaign this season, but his trainer Pat Kelly is a master at getting his horses to peak at the Cheltenham Festival.
The 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River was second behind Bristol de Mai in the 2018 Betfair Chase at Haydock and then chased home Clan des Obeaux and Thistlecrack in the 2018 King George VI Chase at Kempton, two top-class races which often point towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner the following spring.
The 2017 King George winner Might Bite , who was second to Native River in the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup, has disappointed so far this season and needs to be rejuvenated by a wind operation when heading to Cheltenham in March.
The 2019 renewal finally saw Willie Mullins record a win in the race, as Al Boum Photo – ridden by Paul Townend – got the better of the previous year’s third Anibale Fly, with Bristol de Mai back in third.
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2022 FAQs
What is the distance of the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
3 miles and 2 and a half furlongs.
How many obstacles are jumped in the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
22
What day of the festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Day 4
What time is the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
15:30
What weights are carried for the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
11st 8lb (5yo). 11st 10lb (6yo+). 7lb allowance for mares.
What is the purse for the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
£625,000 (2019)
Who is the leading jockey in the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
In recent history, Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty and Richard Johnson have all won it twice.
Who is the leading trainer in the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Paul Nicholls
Who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
You can check out our Cheltenham Gold Cup results page here to see a list of previous winners.
Where can I compare the odds for the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Click the link to visit our Cheltenham Gold Cup Odds Comparison page.
