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The Cheltenham Gold Cup is just a couple of months away, and this year’s fixture is shaping up to be one of the best in its storied history. The entries unveiled point to an incredibly deep field of thoroughbreds, and given the £1 million in prize money on offer, each respective trainer will have their horses primed and ready to go on March 17.
As a result, for those who bet on horse racing with Paddy Power, picking a winner for the three mile and two-and-a-half-furlong affair will be a nightmare. With that in mind, read on as we dissect the outsiders in the betting lines who could potentially upset the applecart and reign supreme in one of the Cheltenham Festival’s biggest Grade 1 affairs.
Conflated
The Gordon Elliot-trained Conflated could be good value at 14/1, having impressed in his most recent outing in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown. After a disappointing performance at Down Royal in November, in which he finished third, the Irish thoroughbred needed a strong showing this season as he prepares for Cheltenham.
As mentioned earlier, he did just that at Leopardstown in December, winning comfortably by five lengths from Willie Mullins’ Kemboy and stablemate Fury Road. If the nine-year-old can display similar finishing speed to what he did last month, he could shock a few people in a couple of months’ time.
Minella Indo
Never write off a previous Gold Cup winner – and given the performance he put forth at Tramore on New Year’s Day – albeit in a Grade 3 – the 10-year-old is still in with a shot at 25/1. Minella Indo managed to hold off Stattler in an absolute thriller, a win his trainer Henry de Bromhead called one of the biggest of his career.
Having won the 2021 Gold Cup and finishing runner-up last year, De Bromhead knows exactly how to have this particular horse fighting fit come race day – and if he performs anywhere near like he did earlier this month – he’s one to consider.
Hewick
One of the shining lights of the past 12 months, of which include wins in the Sandown Gold Cup, the Galway Plate and the American Grand National – trainer John Hanlon will be looking to add the Cheltenham Gold Cup to Hewick’s impressive list of achievements in recent times.
Despite his success, he will come into the Cheltenham Festival slightly underdone, with Hanlon confirming that Hewick’s most recent outing at Far Hills in October will have been his last before lining up for the Gold Cup.
“I'm going to give him no run before the Gold Cup and the Gold Cup will put him right for the National (Randox Grand National at Aintree),” he said.
I'm not saying he's not going to be trained for the Gold Cup, but he's a summer horse and he had a busy enough year last year and he wants good ground.”
For those following the Cheltenham betting markets, Hewick currently sits as 25/1 to reign supreme in the Gold Cup.
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