Cheltenham Gold Cup: An updated look at the odds after the Dublin Racing Festival and an antepost selection

Of course anything can happen in racing, but after the Dublin Racing Festival the Cheltenham Gold Cup looks as clear as it should on the day and Galopin Des Champs has enhanced his claims for the blue riband event at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. Here we take a look at the latest odds for the March 17 showpiece and give our antepost selection at this stage...

There were questions aplenty about Galopin Des Champs' price for the Cheltenham Gold Cup before his run in the Irish Gold Cup, his first attempt at three miles over fences. After a sensational 8 length win, cruising away from the rallying Stattler who nabbed second place on the line, the stamina doubts seem to have been dispelled for most after the energy he still seemed to have in the tank when crossing the line. Bookmakers took differing views on the race, with some shortening Mullins' star while Betfair and Paddy Power lengthened his odds slightly. The case for making him a bigger price is perhaps in the somewhat workmanlike way he won his race, showing less of the boundless enthusiasm that had characterised him to this point. That is no bad thing when thinking of the stamina test the Gold Cup would surely present, though his price does look a shade skinny at this point.

Second favourite after this race depends on which betting sites' odds grids you go by, but the consensus with most seems to be it is wide open in behind the favourite. Last year's winner A Plus Tard only has the Betfair Chase flop this season on his CV and will be coming into the race fairly fresh unless getting a run pencilled in before the big day, but if he is back to last season's form Galopin Des Champs will have to be a superstar to beat him. The 2022 Gold Cup was run to suit A Plus Tard but he couldn't have been more impressive when taking the race and connections will be confident they can get him back to his best by March 17. The aforementioned Stattler is next in the prices and although he has been shown to lack gears, his stamina and toughness is without question after his runs this year and last season's National Hunt Chase triumph. He could be a solid one for place only betting when the market becomes available.

There wasn't much more movement in behind the favourite in the aftermath of the DRF in the Gold Cup market, with many of the British contenders not opting to head to Leopardstown for the Irish equivalent. NOble Yeats of course ran a nice prep race a few weeks prior in the Cotswold Chase and the speed he showed when winning the Many Clouds at Aintree still lingers in the mind, but he looks a few points too short now at his current odds and it's not hard to envisage the Grand National hero drifting on the day. Ahoy Senor won that race, beating Emmet Mullins' horse fair and square, and deserves to have shortened up from his odds but is simply too unreliable in terms of his jumping to suggest a wager here.

Protektorat disappointed that day but his trainer Dan Skelton shouldered the blame and said he should never have run his star chaser. If that run was just a blip then he warrants being 16/1 again from the 33/1 he drifted to, while Sounds Russian ran a belting race that day but probably doesn't have the class for a Gold Cup. Conflated could be of interest for Gigginstown if given the go ahead for this race over the Ryanair and his odds have been shortening quietly over the weeks. 2021 hero Minella Indo saw off Stattler earleir this campaign and if on song will give a good showing once again at Prestbury Park, but it would be miraculous were he to come back to the form of two years ago and win again. 

At the current antepost prices, I have come round to the idea that Bravemansgame is worth backing for Gold Cup glory for Paul Nicholls. Last season in his novice campaign he was foot perfect until fluffing his lines at Aintree when perhaps over the top. He ran a good race in the Ballymore of 2021 behind Bob Olinger and so Cheltenham holds no fears despite his late withdrawal from last year's Brown Advisory. With Nicholls' strategy of slowly building up his staying chasers, I am confident he is now at his peak and, as he was bought for a Gold Cup, he will now not struggle to stay the trip as would've been the worry throughout his novice campaign with his run style.

His jumping has always been exemplary and with a jockey I rate very highly in Harry Cobden sure to take the ride, and the confidence boosting King George win this season, he looks a point or two too big at present. Galopin Des Champs deserves to be favourite and barring a peak form A Plus Tard is probably the most talented horse in the field, but Bravemansgame doesn't look far behind and with his outstanding fencing technique he can have his rivals in trouble around Prestbury Park. Back him now to land Nicholls his first Gold Cup since Kauto Star's iconic win in 2009.