Day 4 at Cheltenham: Tips and Predictions for Gold Cup Day

The Cheltenham Festival finishes with a flourish on Friday with a vintage Gold Cup, as Galopin Des Champs returns to the scene of his victory last year in an attempt to vanquish 11 rivals - some old, some new - on the softest ground at the Festival for quite some time.

Can he win back-to-back races in the style of his former stablemate Al Boum Photo? When he lines up, will any other trainer have won a race on the card? Will Cheltenham join Leopardstown in being a Grade 1 buffet for the Willie Mullins team?

Those questions and more will be answered by tea time, with other Grade 1 glory on offer in the Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

The big race jumps at 3:30pm, with the first and last off at 1.30pm and 5.30pm respectively. Let’s have a look at each of them in turn.

13:30 - JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1, 2m1f)

The Irish domination of Cheltenham was almost inevitable if the ante-post betting markets were anything to go by, but the two Nicky Henderson trained odds-on shots at least gave the home team some hope of Grade 1 glory.

However, Constitution Hill, the undisputed star of the show, didn’t even make it to the races after working terribly in a public gallop and now Sir Gino, the strapping juvenile who careered up the hill in fine fashion in January, has it all to prove after several high-profile stablemates were pulled up or withdrawn earlier in the week.

He was always going to face a barrage of runners from across the water anyway with Grade 1 winner Kargese and her vanquished stablemates Storm Heart, Majborough, Bunting and Ethical Diamond all likely to take their chance as well.

Sir Gino’s French win over Salvator Mundi, who hasn’t been seen since, might hold the key, with the latter reported to be working very well indeed at home but after Joseph O’Brien won the Boodles on Tuesday with a horse rated 17lbs inferior to NURBURGRING, it might be worth chancing this strong staying son of Zoffany to upset the applecart.

Rated 96 at his peak on the flat, he was first past the post in the first three hurdles before getting caught in a pocket and coming home well behind Kala Conti on Boxing Day. He’s been kept fresh for this and looks like a big danger.

Selection: Nurburgring

14:10 - BetMGM County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap, 2m1f)

A big field awaits for this two mile handicap hurdle, but only two names matter in this race and they are Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton, winners of seven of the last eight renewals, including future Champion Hurdler State Man.

L’Eau Du Sud is the obvious starting point. This French recruit pulled up on his return to action in the Greatwood, but looked the winner in the Betfair Hurdle before Iberico Lord arrived from the sky to collar him over the last.

Go Dante, Faivoir and Knickerbockerglory gave that form a boost in the Imperial Cup, finishing 1st, 2nd and 5th respectively, but there’s an inkling he might not be the strongest finisher.

Mullins might be the way to go this year. Absurde is a class act and makes his handicap debut off a nice mark, Westport Cove is unexposed and Risk Belle was only a neck away from landing the juvenile handicap hurdle at the Festival last year, but if you need a Grade 1 horse for a race like this then ZENTA fits the bill.

Third to Lossiemouth in the Triumph, she knuckled down to land the 4-y-o Grade 1 at Aintree and ran a massive race at Leopardstown last time out.

The pick of JP McManus’ retained jockey Mark Walsh is hopefully the right one.

Selection: Zenta

14:50 - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1, 3m)

Three miles in the mud at Cheltenham is a test for any horse, never mind a novice hurdler, so it’s no surprise to see the Albert Bartlett become a proving ground for future staying chasers.

The likes of Ultima winner Chianti Classico (pulled up) and National Hunt Chase victor Corbett’s Cross (ran out at the last) are just some of the names who failed this test, but came back stronger next year.

Willie Mullins has won this with lightly-raced types in recent years, but it’s the battle-hardened Readin Tommy Wrong and HIGH CLASS HERO who head the betting for the Master of Closutton this time around.

The former came home well in the Lawlor’s of Naas but the latter is the pick. Like many recent winners, he’s a point winner with seemingly bottomless stamina reserves and is four from four over hurdles.

Selection: High Class Hero

15:30 - Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1, 3m 2 1/2f)

The race of the week, month and year arrives at 3.30 with a stellar renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Even the removal of Shishkin from the equation barely dulls the shine on a dream dozen of staying stars, headlined by last year’s winner GALOPIN DES CHAMPS.

The 2023 renewal fell apart, with fancied runners A Plus Tard, Hewick and Ahoy Senor all failing to complete, but his Cheltenham record is almost perfect, his last two wins were very comfortable and at the age of eight he might be even better this year than last.

Fastorslow has beaten him twice, however, and has a big run at the track to his name too, though he may get outstayed under these conditions.

L’Homme Presse is a class act on his day, King George winner Hewick adds colour and Gerri Colombe has been touted as a Gold Cup horse from the word go, but THE REAL WHACKER beat him in last year’s Brown Advisory and has won three of his five chase starts at this track.

Two of those were in soft ground and he was eating up the ground when second last time out after getting outpaced. He’s unlikely to beat  the defending champ, but he’s the ideal type to run a huge race at big odds each-way

Selection: Galopin Des Champs

Each-Way: The Real Whacker

16:10 - St. James's Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase (Class 2, 3m 2 1/2f)

An unusually small field for this year’s Hunters’ Chase, possibly instigated by the high-profile purchase of hot favourite It’s On the Line who ran on strongly for second in last year’s tougher renewal when a fresh faced six-year-old.

Normally you’d oppose the youngsters in this due to the rough and tumble nature of the race but with only 11 rivals, he’s sure to go close.

It’s worth remembering that PREMIER MAGIC, who beat him last year, was a completely unconsidered 66/1 shot, but went through the race like a well fancied favourite.

He followed up back here in May by 17 lengths, has won twice in point-to-points since and is likely to be three times the price of his old rival again this time.

Selection: Premier Magic

16:50 - Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (Grade 2, 2m 4 1/2f)

It’s Gavin Cromwell’s turn to stop the Mullins juggernaut in the Mares’ Chase with improving last time out winners LIMERICK LACE and Brides Hill duking it out with Dinoblue and Allegorie De Vassy.

The selection has matured this season with wide-margin wins at Clonmel and Doncaster and a highly creditable second to strong staying Coko Beach in the Troytown at Navan.

Brides Hill is unbeaten this season, Allegorie De Vassy is classy but has stamina doubts and the same concern hangs over Dinoblue, though her sheer ability might put those worries to bed having found only superstar stablemate El Fabiolo too good for her in three races this year.

Selection: Limerick Lace

17:30 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (Class 2, 2m 4 ½f)

The getting out stakes of the week can throw up a superstar or two and we’re all hoping for a Galopin Des Champs or Banbridge to emerge from the Friday finale in style.

Plenty have claims. Quai De Bourbon is the talking horse of the last week or two and it’s impossible to figure out his true ability after only two starts in Ireland.

No Ordinary Joe was second last year and ran an eye-catching prep at Kempton, while Better Days Ahead has a chance given how Slade Steel and Asian Master, winners of her last two races, performed on day one

WATERFORD WHISPERS looks the best handicapped horse in the race by some margin on his last two runs and Henry De Bromhead’s good week could finish with a winner.

He beat Western Fold by 15 lengths at Fairyhouse and runs off the same mark as Gordon Elliot’s runner did in the Coral Cup. He was unsuited by the slow pace set on his handicap debut last time out.

Selection: Waterford Whispers