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 Cheltenham Gold Cup Preview
First run as a jump race in 1924, the Gold Cup is the race every owner, trainer, and jockey dreams of winning. It features a brutal uphill finish (the "Cheltenham Hill") that has broken the hearts of many front-runners just yards from the line. The roll of honour includes legends like Arkle, Best Mate (three-time winner), and Kauto Star, who famously became the first horse to regain the title after losing it. Golden Miller is the most successful horse, having won five consecutive renewals between 1932 & 1936.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a true test of a chaser, key attributes required are the ability to jump fluently (those that are prone to fencing errors tend to get found out), tactical race speed as the Gold Cup is usually run at a quicker pace than most chases run over a similar distance, stamina to see out the race distance and uphill finish and the ability to act on the undulating track that Cheltenham offers.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup will hold the title of 'Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase'.
Elevate your Cheltenham Gold Cup betting game using our thorough examination of historical race trends and trainer stats, then capitalise on the Cheltenham betting offers.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Information:
- Cheltenham Gold Cup Past Winners
- Cheltenham Gold Cup Trainer Statistics
- Cheltenham Gold Cup Jockey Statistics
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 Cheltenham Gold Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022, when the race had an over-round of 112%. The race in 2006 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 126%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the over-round has been 118%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £118 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Cheltenham Gold 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 Cheltenham Gold Cup Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Cheltenham Gold Cup Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Cheltenham Gold Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Long Run (6:29.70) in 2011
- War Of Attrition (6:31.70) in 2006
- Don Cossack (6:35.00) in 2016
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 Cheltenham Gold Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 5 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -11.16. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Long Run, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Mr Sam Waley-Cohen, who set the fastest winning time in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. That runner won the race in a time of 6:29.70 in 2011. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer W P Mullins and jockey Paul Townend with Galopin Des Champs who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 7:05.14 in the 2024 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Cheltenham Gold Cup Past Winners
Here are the Cheltenham Gold 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 Cheltenham Gold Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 6:40.00 | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo 11-10 15/2 | Mark Walsh Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
| 2024 7:05.14 | Galopin Des Champs (FR) 8yo 11-10 10/11F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 6:45.46 | Galopin Des Champs (FR) 7yo 11-10 7/5F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2022 6:41.75 | A Plus Tard (FR) 8yo 11-10 3/1F | Rachael Blackmore Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2021 6:45.35 | Minella Indo (IRE) 8yo 11-10 9/1 | Jack Kennedy Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2020 6:50.38 | Al Boum Photo (FR) 8yo 11-10 100/30F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2019 6:39.06 | Al Boum Photo (FR) 7yo 11-10 12/1 | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2018 7:02.60 | Native River (IRE) 8yo 11-10 5/1 | Richard Johnson Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2017 6:36.10 | Sizing John (GB) 7yo 11-10 7/1 | Robbie Power Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2016 6:35.00 | Don Cossack (GER) 9yo 11-10 9/4F | B J Cooper Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Cheltenham Gold Cup have been based:
- IRE: 11 winners with an additional 17 placings from 89 runners
- GB: 9 winners with an additional 23 placings from 170 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 6 runners
2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup Replay
Cheltenham Gold Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Cheltenham Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals is W P Mullins, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Al Boum Photo (2019 & 2020) and Galopin Des Champs (2023 & 2024). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Cheltenham Gold Cup are Nicky Henderson (2 wins) and Henry De Bromhead (2 wins). One trainer has not had the best of times in the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Venetia Williams has sent a total of 12 runners to the race without recording a win.
Here are the Cheltenham Gold Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 34-4-12 | -12.36 | -13.43 |
| Nicky Henderson | 15-2-6 | -6.75 | -5.83 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 12-2-4 | +2.00 | -0.77 |
| Gordon Elliott | 8-1-3 | -4.75 | -1.80 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 1-1-1 | +7.50 | +4.50 |
| Venetia Williams | 12-0-1 | -12.00 | -6.50 |
| Rebecca Curtis | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Dan Skelton | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -0.50 |
Cheltenham Gold Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Cheltenham Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals is Paul Townend, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Al Boum Photo (2019 & 2020) and Galopin Des Champs (2023 & 2024).
Here are the Cheltenham Gold Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend (Gaelic Warrior) | 13-4-6 | +8.64 | +1.67 |
| Nico de Boinville (Jango Baie) | 7-1-3 | +1.00 | -0.60 |
| Jack Kennedy (Firefox) | 5-1-2 | +5.00 | +2.55 |
| Mark Walsh (Inothewayurthinkin) | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.50 |
| Charlie Deutsch (LHomme Presse) | 6-0-0 | -6.00 | -6.00 |
| Harry Cobden (Spillanes Tower) | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.90 |
| Darragh O'Keeffe (Envoi Allen) | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | +2.50 |
| Harry Skelton (Grey Dawning) | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -0.50 |
| Sean Bowen (Haiti Couleurs) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
Should We Avoid The Veterans in the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
One of the regular trends for the Gold Cup each year is the seemingly poor recent record of horses aged ten and above. Cool Dawn’s 25/1 victory in 1998 was the last time a horse in that age group recorded a win.
These statistics seem to suggest that older horses are unlikely to be winning in 2026, but is that the case?
Ten-year-old On His Own was beaten just a short-head by Lord Windermere in 2010, and Denman (twice), Kauto Star and Mon Mome were all placed in the Gold Cup when ten or older.
Cue Card was ten years old when contesting the 2016 renewal and looked all set to be involved in the finish before taking a bad fall at the third last fence.
The latest to pick up a place was Corach Rambler, who was finishing strongly to finish third in the 2024 renewal of the Gold Cup.
The reality of the actual numbers for horses aged ten or over since 1999 is as follows:
- 89 have competed
- 0 have won
- 9 have been placed
- 30 failed to complete
- 47 completed but outside places
- 32 were priced at 50/1 or above
- 11 at 5/1 or shorter: PU, 4, 13, 11, F, 2, PU, 3, PU, F, F
2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 11, 1, 2, 1, F, 1, 3, 1, 5, 7, 1, 4, 2, 8, 1, 3, 1, 1, 1, 2
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 (54%) - Within the first 7 of the market
- 20 / 20 (57%) - Had 1 - 10 wins (Class)
- 20 / 20 (58%) - Highest Won is G1
- 20 / 20 (61%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (69%) - Break of 33 - 372 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Achieved an RPR of 157+ (Class)
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Off a break of 33 - 104 days
- 20 / 20 (75%) - No more than +2yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Had 1 - 11 placings (Class)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Carried 159 - 166lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - No older than a 9yo
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Achieved an RPR of 143+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Not on HY/GF (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Not at Cheltenham (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran over 2m4f - 3m2f (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Cheltenham Gold 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 Cheltenham Gold Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Cheltenham Gold Cup Trend Shortlist
Cheltenham will host the 2026 renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which will be run at 4:00 pm on Friday, 13th March 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Jango Baie (7/2)
- Nicky Henderson (15-2-6 -6.75 / -5.83)
- Nico de Boinville (7-1-3 +1.00 / -0.60)
- 15/15 The Jukebox Man (4/1)
- Ben Pauling (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
- Ben Jones (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
Others: Grey Dawning (14/15), Gaelic Warrior (13/15), Inothewayurthinkin (13/15), Spillanes Tower (13/15), Envoi Allen (10/15), Firefox (10/15), Haiti Couleurs (10/15), LHomme Presse (10/15) and Gold Tweet (5/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (2:34 pm Wednesday 11th March 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Envoi Allen won the BetVictor Champion Chase last time out, and a total of 1 previous winner of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -14.00.
Haiti Couleurs won the Denman Chase last time out, and a total of 4 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of +0.50.
Spillanes Tower won the Cotswold Chase last time out, and a total of 1 previous winner of that race from a total of 18 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -12.50.
The Jukebox Man won the King George VI Chase last time out, and a total of 5 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -7.77.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +6.89, is when runners ran in Ireland last time out.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 career wins in the class, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-110.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 9 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Newbury; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Newbury last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 264 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 1 runner.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup:
- Bucks Boum (2 Wins)
- Presenting (2 Wins)
- Timos (2 Wins)
- Village Star (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Saint Des Saints (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Dom Alco (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Milan (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Lord Windermere in 2014, winning for J H Culloty at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Davy Russell. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 9 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Inothewayurthinkin Leopardstown - 4th of 10 (16/1) | Irish Gold Cup |
| 2024 - Galopin Des Champs Leopardstown - 1st of 4 (1/3) | Irish Gold Cup |
| 2023 - Galopin Des Champs Leopardstown - 1st of 7 (3/10) | Irish Gold Cup |
| 2022 - A Plus Tard Leopardstown - 2nd of 8 (8/11) | Savills Chase |
| 2021 - Minella Indo Leopardstown - 4th of 5 (13/8) | Irish Gold Cup |
| 2020 - Al Boum Photo Tramore - 1st of 4 (4/7) | Tramore New Year's Day Chase |
| 2019 - Al Boum Photo Tramore - 1st of 7 (2/1) | Tramore New Year's Day Chase |
| 2018 - Native River Newbury - 1st of 3 (8/11) | Denman Chase |
| 2017 - Sizing John Leopardstown - 1st of 7 (10/3) | Irish Gold Cup |
| 2016 - Don Cossack Thurles - 1st of 4 (1/7) | Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase |
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 | Old Park Star (IRE) 6yo - 15/8 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Kargese (FR) 6yo - 7/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Saratoga (IRE) 4yo - 10/1 | Padraig Roche Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Johnnywho (IRE) 9yo - 18/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Richie McLernon |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 7yo - 7/5 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Madara (FR) 7yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Holloway Queen (IRE) 6yo - 12/1 | Nicky Henderson James Bowen |
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 Cheltenham Gold 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
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 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
