Known as the Blue Riband on NH horse racing the Cheltenham Gold Cup is the featured race on the final day (Friday) of the Cheltenham Festival that is staged each year in March.
Run over 3m 2 1/2f and with 22 fences to jump the race always attracts the best staying chasers from the UK, Ireland and France, while has been won in the past by household names such as Golden Miller, Arkle, Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Denman and Kauto Star, while in 2018 we saw the Colin Tizzard-trained Native River win the Cheltenham Gold Cup - Did you know we’ve actually seen 9 winning favourites in the last 19 runnings – not decent 47% strike-rate for a race as competitive as this.
In 2019, we saw the Willie Mullins-trained Al Boum Photo give the leading Irish trainer his first winner in the race and in 2020 he become the first horse since Best Mate to win back-to-back Cheltenham Gold Cups, after beating Santini and Lostintranslation in a race of fine margins.
Al Boum Photo could only manage third in the 2021 Gold Cup though, so if lining up again in 2022 will be looking to become the first horse since Kauto Star to win back his crown.
The 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup provided Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead with his first win in the race as his Minella Indo saw off his stablemate - A Plus Tard - by 1 ¼ lengths. Both the first and second in 2021 are expected to be back for more in 2022.
Here at TQ we look back at recent winners and gives you all the key Cheltenham Gold Cup trends to take into the 2022 renewal – this year run on Friday 18th March.
Recent Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners
2021 - MINELLA INDO (9/1)
2020 – AL BOUM PHOTO (10/3 fav)
2019 – AL BOUM PHOTO (12/1)
2018 – NATIVE RIVER (5/1)
2017 – SIZING JOHN (7/1)
2016 – DON COSSACK (9/4 fav)
2015 – CONEYGREE (7/1)
2014 – LORD WINDERMERE (20/1)
2013 – BOBS WORTH (11/4 fav)
2012 – SYNCHRONISED (8/1)
2011 – LONG RUN (7/2 fav)
2010 – IMPERIAL COMMANDER (7/1)
2009 – KAUTO STAR (7/4 fav)
2008 – DENMAN (9/4)
2007 – KAUTO STAR (5/4 fav)
2006 – WAR OF ATTRITION (15/2)
2005 – KICKING KING (4/1 fav)
2004 – BEST MATE (8/11 fav)
2003 – BEST MATE (13/8 fav)
Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Trends
19/19 – Aged 9 or younger
18/19 – Had raced within the last 3 months
17/19 – Had run over fences at Cheltenham before
16/19 – Finished 1st or 2nd last time out
16/19 – Came from the top 3 in the betting
16/19 – Had won over at least 3m (chase) before
14/19 – Winning distance – 2 lengths or more
14/19 – Won last time out
13/19 – Placed favourites
12/19 – Had won 5 or more times over fences in the UK or Ire before
11/19 – Rated 170 or higher
11/19 – Irish bred
9/19 – Winning favourites
8/19 – Had last raced in the previous calendar year
8/19 – Had won over fences at Cheltenham before
8/19 – Irish-trained winners (5 of the last 6)
5/19 – Last race was in the King George VI Chase (Kempton)
4/19 – Won the Denman Chase (Newbury) last time out
3/19 – Trained by Paul Nicholls
2/19 – Ran in the Savills Chase last time out
2/19 – Trained by Nicky Henderson
2/19 - Trained by Willie Mullins (2 of the last 3)
The average winning SP in the last 18 renewals is 11/2
Other Cheltenham Gold Cup Stats
Only one horse (Kauto Star 2009) has ever regained the race
27 of the last 28 winners have been aged 9 or younger
9 of the last 20 winners came here fresh – did not race that same calendar year
17 of the last 21 winners were rated 166 or higher
21 of the last 23 winners had won a race already that current season
15 of the last 21 winners had finished second or better at the Cheltenham Festival before
11 of the last 22 winners had run in that season’s King George VI Chase (Kempton)
21 of the last 22 winners had won a Grade One Chase contest before
The last winner aged older than 10 was in 1969 (What a Myth, 12)
Cheltenham Gold Cup – UK v Irish
16/24 – British-trained winners
8/24 – Irish-trained winners (5 of last 6 though)
Willie Mullins (Ire) has trained just two winners
Nicky Henderson (UK) has trained 2 of the last 10 winners
Paul Nicholls (UK) has trained 3 of the last 14 winners (4 in total)
