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The Cheltenham Festival reaches its crescendo Friday, March 15 with the Grade 1, £625,000 Cheltenham Gold Cup! Covering 22 fences over a testing distance of three miles, two and a half furlongs, it is the richest and most prestigious jumps racing event of the year. And, with a twelve-horse field, it is one of the most exciting horse racing betting opportunities of the jumps season!
Galopin des Champs, the seven-length winner of the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup, returns to the fray for trainer Willie Mullins. Second-place Bravemansgame returns as well. He will also have to face Fastorslow, the horse who beat him twice last fall. Other contenders include Corach Rambler, who won the Grand National in 2023, and L’Homme Presse, on the comeback trail.
Will Galopin des Champs be able to repeat, or will another foe be able to claim the gold? Keep reading to find out, and to see the best places to bet the Cheltenham Gold Cup online!
Where to Bet the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Before you begin handicapping the race, you need to find out the best place to bet the Cheltenham Gold Cup online. There are many options, but our experts are here to help. They know the online betting space and can point you to the best online sportsbooks for betting horse racing.
All of our recommended betting sites offer the foundations of a great experience: market-leading odds, trusted deposits and cash-outs, and smooth user interfaces. Each one offers different bonuses as well, so taking a few minutes now to find out which site’s sign-up bonuses and rebates suit your stakes and wagers the best can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars later!
Cheltenham Gold Cup Horses and Odds
This is the official field for the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup including draw numbers, trainers, and jockeys:
- Bravemansgame (Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden)
- Corach Rambler (Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox)
- Fastorslow (Martin Brassil/J. J. Slevin)
- Galopin Des Champs (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend)
- Gentlemansgame (Mouse Morris/Darragh O’Keeffe)
- Gerri Colombe (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy)
- Hewick (John Joseph Hanlon/Jordan Gainford)
- Jungle Boogie (Henry de Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore)
- L’Homme Presse (Venetia Williams/Charlie Deutsch)
- Monkfish (Willie Mullins/Patrick Mullins)
- Nassalam (Gary Moore/Niall Houlihan)
- The Real Whacker (Patrick Neville/Sam Twiston-Davies)
From now until the horses jump on Friday, make sure to track the odds at your online sportsbook of choice. Unlike at racetracks, when you are forced to take the post-time odds, online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds wagering on major races. This means you can lock in the best price the moment you bet, and you can be confident that you are getting market-leading odds based on when you wagered.
These are the odds on horses near the top of the market for the Cheltenham Gold Cup:
 |  |  |
|
| Galopin des Champs | +110 | +110 | +110 |
| Fastorslow | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Gerri Colombe | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| L'Homme Presse | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Bravemansgame | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
Free Cheltenham Gold Cup Picks
Now that you have your online betting account, you are ready to start handicapping the race! Read on to get to know the leading contenders in the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Favorites
Galopin des Champs, the 2023 winner of this race, is in an excellent position to repeat. He will get his favored soft ground in the Gold Cup this year, and he comes in on the strength of two comprehensive victories in Grade 1 chases at Leopardstown. Though he was beaten a few times by Fastorslow last autumn he beat that foe in the Irish Gold Cup (G1) last out, and should be in perfect form at this, his goal.
The one with the best shot to upset the apple cart is L’Homme Presse. Unlike other leading contenders he does not have a recent defeat to the favorite. Though he was out all of 2023, he won the Novices’ Chase (G1) at the festival in 2022, and his two comeback starts included a victory at Lingfield and a respectable enough fifth in a Grade 1 at Ascot. Third-up, he should be tightened up nicely.
The aforementioned Fastorslow was beaten by Galopin des Champs in his final prep, but did show last autumn that not only could he go toe-to-toe with the favorite, but beat him. He has the class, but the big question is the distance of the Gold Cup; his wins over the favorite came over shorter distances, while this extra ground suits the favorite.
Exotics Candidates for the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Bravemansgame finished second in the Gold Cup last year, and could do similar this year. He hasn’t won since the King George VI (G1) on Boxing Day 2022, but has not been worse than third in five starts since, keeping high-class company each time. He probably will not win a race at this class or distance, but is consistent enough to be a must-use in exotic tickets.
Among the true long shots, give a long look to The Real Whacker. Winner of the Novices’ Chase at the festival in 2023, he has not won in three starts since but a respectable second in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham on January 27 suggests he is improving at the right time. With good form on soft ground and good, consistent local form, he could run well as one of the longest shots in the field.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Free Picks
You have met the contenders and created your online betting account. Now, it’s time to play! These are the best bets for Friday’s 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup:
- $20 to win – #4 Galopin des Champs
- $10 each-way – #9 L’Homme Presse
- $1 exacta key – #4 Galopin des Champs with #3 Fastorslow, #9 L’Homme Presse
- $0.50 trifecta key – #4 Galopin des Champs with #1 Bravemansgame, #3 Fastorslow, #9 L’Homme Presse, #12 The Real Whacker
- $0.20 superfecta key – #4 Galopin des Champs with #1 Bravemansgame, #3 Fastorslow, #9 L’Homme Presse, #12 The Real Whacker
