You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 BetMGM Cup Preview
Inaugurated in 1993, the BetMGM Cup quickly became a staple of "Festival Wednesday". The race is better known to many as the 'Coral Cup', due to the bookmaker's long sponsorship, which ended in 2026.
It has a reputation as a "bookies' race" because it is incredibly rare for a favourite to win. Run over two miles and five furlongs, where there is usually more than one big gamble on the day of the race. However, big price winners of this race are very common, so why not try for an outsider?
Langer Dan for the Dan Skelton yard won this race in both 2023 & 2024; he was the first-ever runner to become a dual winner of this race.
Uncover BetMGM Cup winning strategies through our deep dive into past race patterns and trainer performance, and supercharge your bets with these top free bets for Cheltenham.
BetMGM Cup Information:
We also have a dedicated Cheltenham tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. We cover every race at the Cheltenham Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the BetMGM Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2015, when the race had an over-round of 128%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 146%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the BetMGM Cup, the over-round has been 136%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £136 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 BetMGM Cup Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the BetMGM Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run BetMGM Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Whisper (4:58.70) in 2014
- Son Of Flicka (5:00.40) in 2012
- Skys The Limit (5:02.50) in 2006
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the BetMGM Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -10.62. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2024 renewal when Langer Dan from Dan Skelton under the guidance of Harry Skelton, won in a time of 5:32.44, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Whisper, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville set the quickest time of 4:58.70 in the 2014 renewal.
| BetMGM Cup NRNB 11 Mar @ 14:40 - AntePost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Storm Heart | 8.50 | |
| I Started A Joke | 11.00 | |
| Kateira | 11.00 | |
| Iberico Lord | 13.00 | |
| The Yellow Clay | 13.00 | |
BetMGM Cup Past Winners
Here are the BetMGM Cup past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the BetMGM Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:11.98 | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo 11-7 16/1 | Danny Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 5:32.44 | Langer Dan (IRE) 8yo 11-8 13/2 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2023 5:14.46 | Langer Dan (IRE) 7yo 11-4 9/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2022 5:19.82 | Commander Of Fleet (IRE) 8yo 11-5 50/1 | Shane Fitzgerald (5lbs) Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2021 5:08.59 | Heaven Help Us (IRE) 7yo 10-2 33/1 | Richard Condon (7lbs) Paul Hennessy (IRE) |
| 2020 5:25.40 | Dame De Compagnie (FR) 7yo 10-12 5/1F | Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2019 5:08.04 | William Henry (IRE) 9yo 11-10 28/1 | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2018 5:20.80 | Bleu Berry (FR) 7yo 11-2 20/1 | Mark Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 5:04.60 | Supasundae (GB) 7yo 11-4 16/1 | Robbie Power Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2016 5:02.90 | Diamond King (IRE) 8yo 11-3 12/1 | Davy Russell Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the BetMGM Cup have been based:
- GB: 10 winners with an additional 36 placings from 334 runners
- IRE: 9 winners with an additional 24 placings from 180 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
2025 Coral Cup Replay
BetMGM Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the BetMGM Cup over the last 20 renewals is Nicky Henderson, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Spirit River (2010), Whisper (2014), William Henry (2019) and Dame De Compagnie (2020). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the BetMGM Cup are Gordon Elliott (3 wins), W P Mullins (2 wins) and Dan Skelton (2 wins). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the BetMGM Cup. David Pipe (0-16), Philip Hobbs (0-16), Nigel Twiston-Davies (0-12), Gary Moore (0-11) and Jonjo O'Neill (0-11) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top BetMGM Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Henderson | 56-4-9 | +9.00 | -2.24 |
| Gordon Elliott | 38-3-8 | +43.00 | +27.01 |
| W P Mullins | 54-2-9 | -16.00 | -4.62 |
| Dan Skelton | 8-2-3 | +9.50 | +6.19 |
| Paul Nicholls | 21-1-5 | -11.00 | -7.36 |
| Alan King | 19-1-4 | +15.00 | +11.51 |
| Donald McCain | 5-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.00 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 4-1-2 | +13.00 | +9.25 |
| Dr Richard Newland | 4-1-1 | +7.00 | +3.25 |
| T J Taaffe | 3-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.75 |
BetMGM Cup Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the BetMGM Cup over the last 20 renewals, with both Nico de Boinville and Harry Skelton, who have both won the race two times. Nico de Boinville winners have been with Whisper (2014) and William Henry (2019). Harry Skelton winners have been with Langer Dan (2023 & 2024). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the BetMGM Cup; Paul Townend has ridden 11 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top BetMGM Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nico de Boinville | 11-2-3 | +33.00 | +18.56 |
| Harry Skelton | 11-2-3 | +6.50 | +3.19 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 13-1-4 | -3.00 | -0.74 |
| Mark Walsh | 10-1-1 | +11.00 | +3.50 |
| Danny Mullins | 9-1-1 | +8.00 | +2.00 |
| Shane Fitzgerald | 1-1-1 | +50.00 | +31.25 |
| Richard Condon | 1-1-1 | +33.00 | +20.63 |
| Paul Townend | 11-0-1 | -11.00 | -8.00 |
| David Bass | 8-0-1 | -8.00 | -4.37 |
| Jack Kennedy | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -4.50 |
2026 BetMGM Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): F, 16, 18, 10, 12, 11, (2, 7), 17, 5, 3, 22, 22, (4, 22), 7, 1, 12, PU, PU, 14, 8
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Ran over 2m - 2m5½f (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Achieved an RPR of 131+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Had 1 - 5 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Carried 123 - 160lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - In a field of 8 - 18 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Furthest ran 2m1½f - 3m½f
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Not BL/BR/CH in colour
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Off a break of 22 - 313 days
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not on GF/FM/STD/FS (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - No bigger than 50/1
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Highest Placed is not Cl3-5
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Fewer than 3 wins (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Beaten no more -17l (Debut)
- 19 / 20 (84%) - Not fallen (Season)
- 18 / 20 (64%) - Won within last 4 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the BetMGM Cup. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the BetMGM Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
BetMGM Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +38.50, is when runners finished in 1st on debut.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 2 career places in Handicap, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-86.
The courses that have produced the most winners of the BetMGM Cup are Punchestown, Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Cheltenham, Navan, Kempton and Ffos Las; there have been a total of 2 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 496 runners, while female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 21 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the BetMGM Cup:
- Kings Theatre (2 Wins)
- Ocovango (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the BetMGM Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Flemensfirth (0 Wins from 14 runners)
- Oscar (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Accordion (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Presenting (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Commander Of Fleet in 2022, winning for Gordon Elliott at odds of 50/1 under the guidance of Shane Fitzgerald. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 1 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 BetMGM Cup, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the BetMGM Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the BetMGM Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Jimmy Du Seuil Punchestown - 5th of 6 (41/1) | Punchestown Champion Novice Hurdle |
| 2024 - Langer Dan Kempton - 14th of 19 (66/1) | Lanzarote Hurdle |
| 2023 - Langer Dan Cheltenham - 8th of 9 (25/1) | careers@dornangroup.com Relkeel Hurdle |
| 2022 - Commander Of Fleet Navan - 3rd of 9 (16/1) | BetVictor Boyne Hurdle |
| 2021 - Heaven Help Us Leopardstown - 1st of 20 (16/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle |
| 2020 - Dame De Compagnie Cheltenham - 1st of 16 (2/1) | Park Mares Handicap Hurdle |
| 2019 - William Henry Wincanton - PU of 11 (6/1) | Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle |
| 2018 - Bleu Berry Leopardstown - 17th of 28 (12/1) | Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle |
| 2017 - Supasundae Navan - 4th of 9 (6/1) | Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle |
| 2016 - Diamond King Punchestown - 1st of 6 (6/5) | Follow Us On Facebook & Twitter Rated Hurdle |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day, when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle. The feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo - 7/2 | Rebecca Curtis Ben Jones |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it, and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Turners Novices Hurdle | The New Lion (GB) 6yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Lecky Watson (IRE) 7yo - 20/1 | W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe |
| 14:40 Cheltenham BetMGM Cup | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo - 5/2 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 5/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Jazzy Matty (FR) 6yo - 15/2 | Cian Collins Danny Gilligan |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 4/1 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
Schedule for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival
Halfway through the festival and onto day three, where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 7/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Daily Present (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Paul Nolan Mr B T Stone |
Schedule for Friday at the Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the festival and the feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Poniros (GB) 4yo - 100/1 | W P Mullins Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Kargese (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo - 15/2 | Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo - 28/1 | S Curling Mr R James |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this BetMGM Cup Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Cheltenham Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Cheltenham racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January (Festival Trials Day)
- Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase
- Classic Novices' Hurdle
- Cleeve Hurdle
- Cotswold Chase
- International Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial
- Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Races in January
Races in April
Races in October (Showcase Meeting)
Races in November (November Meeting)
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
- Hyde Novices' Hurdle
- Shloer Chase
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
- JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
- Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Greatwood Hurdle
- November Meeting Handicap Chase
