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Andy

The Horse Racing category publishes select GB and IE reviews around 10 minutes before races we feel merit your interest.

We also have Steamers & Drifters Today, Football Tips, Hot Jockeys And Trainers, Horse Racing News and Daily Horse Racing Tips.

All are updated daily and available directly at the top of every page under News or Sport.

Latest posts by Andy (see all)

• Saturday Horse Racing Trends and Free Tips: 1st Oct 2022 - September 30, 2022
• 2022 Ayr Gold Cup Betting Trends & Free Tips - September 11, 2022
• Saturday TV Trends and Tips: 17th Sept 22 - September 11, 2022

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 JUICESTORM 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.

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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)

JUICESTORM VERDICT: Onto the ‘big one’ and it’s a cracking renewal of the Gold Cup with many chances and the last three winners all in attendance. Al Boum Photo is responsible for two of those wins (2019 and 2020), while last year Minella Indo took the honours. The former has taken his normal lightly-raced route to this so despite his age (10) has to be considered to run well still – but only Kauto Star has even regained the Gold Cup. A Plus Tard is also back for more after a close second last year. He’s a year older at 8 and cold not have been more impressive when winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November – beating Royale Pagaille by 22 lengths! Tornado Flyer, who was third in the Ryanair last year, will be hoping to prove to everyone that his King George win on Boxing Day wasn’t a fluke and if you think that he looks overpriced. The main British challenge will come from the Skelton runner – PROTEKTORAT (e/w) – who was last seen thrashing the former Gold Cup winner Native River at Aintree in December. He’s run 7 times over fences and is yet to be out of the first two. We also know the track is fine as he ran a blinder with a big weight in the Paddy Power Gold Cup here in November (2^nd), while the 104-day break is fine as he’s gone well fresh. Chantry House, last year’s Marsh Novices’ Chase winner, didn’t impress last time when winning the Cotswold Chase here, but he still got the job done and it’s hard to knock his record over fences (8 runs, 6 wins). It’s hard to knock the course form of last year’s winner – Minella Indo – he does seem to love it here 1-2-1 and another big run looks on the cards. But, in a race that is likely to require plenty of stamina, the other pick is GALVIN. This Gordon Elliott runner, who won the NH Chase over 3m6f here last season, will relish the test and made the step up this season when beating A Plus Tard by a short-head at Leopardstown in the Savills Chase. He’s had a break since but goes well fresh and will have the experienced Davy Russell doing the steering.