Category: Gold Cup

The 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured just nine runners, the smallest field since Don Cossack justified favouritism against eight rivals in 2016. The betting market also suggested that it was a less competitive renewal than in recent years, with the hat-trick-seeking Galopin Des Champs sent off at 8/13 favourite, King George VI Chase winner Banbridge at 13/2, Inothewayurthinkin at 15/2, Monty’s Star at 8/1 and 14/1 bar that quartet.

Owned by J. P. McManus, trained by Gavin Cromwell, in Navan, Co. Meath, and ridden by Mark Walsh, Inothewayurthinkin had 7¼ lengths to find with the favourite on their running in the Irish Gold Cup at Punchestown in early February. However, despite being officially rated 17lb inferior to Galopin Des Champs, the improving seven-year-old tackled his main market rival approaching the final fence, jumped into a clear lead and drew away on the run-in to win, readily, by six lengths. Inothewayurthinkin had been supplemented for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, at the cost of £25,000, on the Saturday before the race, but collected £364,313.57 in prize money for connections.

Galopins Des Champs was hampered and carried right when 28/1 outsider Ahoy Senor fell at the fifteenth fence, but recovered sufficiently to lead at the second-last fence, only to be swamped for pace by the winner in the closing stages. The front pair pulled a dozen lengths clear of the third horse home, Gentlemansgame, who finished just ahead of Monty’s Star, who was lucky to finish at all, having nearly parted company with jockey Rachael Blackmore at the fence at the top of the hill on the first circuit.

At his press conference following the victory of Galopin Des Champs in the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup, winning trainer Willie Mullins suggested that there might be “a little bit of improvement” left in his then-seven-year-old. So it proved in the 2023/24 season, with Galopin Des Champs winning the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup, both at Leopardstown, with a mininum of fuss, en route to another crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 15, 2024.

At Cheltenham, he was sent off 10/11 favourite against 10 rivals, the pick of which, according to the bookmakers, were Gerri Colombe, whom Galopin Des Champs had beaten 23 lengths in the Savills Chase, at 13/2, whom he had beaten 4½ lengths in the Irish Gold Cup. The defending champion looked a ‘good thing’ on paper and so it proved in the race itself. Always prominent, Galopin Des Champs led two fences from home, took a three-length advantage at the last and maintained it all the way to the finish line. Gerri Colombe could make no impression on the run-in and finished second, nine-and-a-half lengths ahead of 2023 Grand National winner Corach Rambler.

Fastorslow unseated rider at the sixteenth fence, before the race began in earnest, and only six of the 11 runners completed the course. L’Homme Presse weakened approaching the final fence to finish fourth, Bravemansgame, second in 2023, finished fifth and Jungle Boogie sixth, after failing to recover from a bad mistake at the third-last fence.

In 2023, for the fifth time in as many years, the Cheltenham Gold Cup went to Ireland and, for the third time in that period, to horse trained by Closutton maestro Willie Mullins and ridden by his stable jockey Paul Townend. On soft going, thirteen horses went to post and the race was won by 7/5 favourite Galopin Des Champs, who had fallen at the final fence in the Turners Novices’ Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, with the race at his mercy, but was unbeaten in three subsequent starts over fences, all at Grade 1 level.

Galopin Des Champs made a mistake at the third-last fence, but could be called the winner some way from home, overhauling the weakening leader, Bravemansgame, at the last and keeping on strongly to win, going away, by 7 lengths. Bravemansgame, the 6/1 second favourite, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Harry Cobden, finished clear second, 6½ lengths ahead of Savills Chase winner Conflated, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Sam Ewing.

Townend, who had previously ridden Al Boum Photo to victory in the ‘Blue Riband’ event in both 2019 and 2020, said, “The Gold Cup brings winning to a different level. Cheltenham is very important, but the Gold Cup just has that little bit more spice to it.” At his post-race press conference, Mullins said, “…he is only seven and horses do improve until they are eight or nine, so I’d like think there is a little bit of improvement there.”

The 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, once again, featured the first three home in the 2021 renewal, namely Minella Indo and A Plus Tard, trained by Henry de Bromhead, and Al Boum Photo, trained by Willie Mullins. Indeed, the first-named pair, once again, dominated the finish, although A Plus Tard reversed the 2021 form with his stable companion to the tune of 16¼ lengths.

Ridden by Rachael Blackmore, as he had been in 2021, A Plus Tard led over the final fence and was ridden clear on the run-in, staying on strongly to win by 15 lengths. Defending champion Minella Indo, in the hands of Robbie Power, led over the third last and attempted to make the best of his way home, but was headed at the final fence and soon left behind by the winner. The third horse home, Protekorat, did himself no favours by blundering at the last, but kept on finish 2½ lengths behind Minella Indo and just a short-head in front of the well-fancied Galvin, in fourth place.

Victory for A Plus Tard made Rachael Blackmore the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The accolade was just the latest for the pioneering jockey who, in 2021, became the first woman to win the Champion Hurdle, the Ruby Walsh Trophy, presented to the leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, and the Grand National. Reflecting on her string of history-making successes, Blackmore said, “I’ve had so many special days. I wouldn’t swap the Grand National for anything but this is the Gold Cup.”

The 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup, run on good to soft going on March 19, featured twelve runners, including Al Boum Photo, Santini and Lostintranslation, who had filled the first three places in the 2020 renewal. Defending champion Al Boum Photo was, once again, sent off favourite as he attempted to become the first horse since Best Mate, in 2004, to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running.

Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old ran well, too, travelling smoothly until ridden and outpaced two out and staying on to finish third, beaten 5½ lengths by the winner. That winner was Minella Indo, trained by Henry de Bromhead in Knockeen, Co. Waterford and ridden by Jack Kennedy, who appeared to be the stable second-string, having been neglected by stable jockey Rachael Blackmore in favour of better-fancied stablemate A Plus Tard. Nevertheless, Minella Indo led over the third last and stayed on gamely on the run-in to win by 1¼ lengths. A Plus Tard kept on well and made up a little ground from the final fence, but was always held.

A notable 1-2 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup marked the end of a memorable week for De Bromhead, who became the first trainer in history to win the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup at the same Cheltenham Festival. Of his victory, an emotional Kennedy said, “I can’t believe it. This is what I have dreamed of as a child.” Following his retirement, as a 12-year-old, in 2025, De Bromhead hailed Minella Indo as a “savage horse who came alive every year at Cheltenham”.