What do the last 20 years have to say about the Coral Cup at Cheltenham? With our trends guide you can learn some stats to improve your betting strategies!
Considered to be a Premier Handicap National Hunt Hurdle race, the Coral Cup has been a staple of Cheltenham Day two since its introduction in 1993. As one of the more competitive handicap events in the week, with ten hurdles to clear before the finish line, it attracts lots of attention from bettors.
If you’re thinking about placing a Cheltenham bet on this event, it’s worthwhile having a few trends to lean on. Fortunately, this guide will give you just that, listing some of the more prominent stats that have cropped up over the last decade or so.
So, read on to learn more about the Coral Cup. Its historical patterns could be just what you need to choose a horse to bet on!
Key Cheltenham Coral Cup trends to be aware of
Planning which horse to bet on can be difficult, especially with many different elements consider. But there are a couple of things that you should be thinking about before anything else:
Longer breaks between races are better: The amount of time that occurs between a horse’s last race and the one they win can be a handy piece of information to know. Looking the Coral Cup, successful horses seem to leave a fairly substantial gap before competing.
Older horses see success: Being aware of the common age for winning horses could be a great help for your betting strategies. In the case of the Coral Cup, experience often trumps youthful energy.
Does the favourite usually win the Cheltenham Coral Cup?
Though the title of favourite indicates they should often win the race, top billed horses don’t usually win the Coral Cup. Favourites here have had a torrid time, accruing only three wins since it was established over 30 years ago:
Dame De Compagnie (2020) – 5/1
Xenophon (2003) – 4/1
Olympian (1993) – 4/1 (joint favourite)
With horses like Commander Of Fleet (2022) becoming victorious at odds of 50/1, it shows that anything is possible – with long-shots proving to be competitive too. When picking your bets, don’t get too drawn too easily to the favourites as they don’t seem to like racing here!
What is the average age of a Cheltenham Coral Cup winning horse?
As mentioned previously, experience is valuable at the Coral Cup, with horses that have a few extra years of racing often winning more frequently. The entry age might be four, but the youngest age to win in the last decade and a half was five years old – and that’s only happened twice:
Jimmy Du Seuil (2025) – 6 years
Langer Dan (2024) – 8 years
Langer Dan (2023) – 7 years
Commander Of Fleet (2022) – 8 years
Heaven Help Us (2021) – 7 years
Dame Du Compagnie (2020) – 7 years
William Henry (2019) – 9 years
Bleu Berry (2018) – 7 years
Supasundae (2017) – 7 years
Diamond King (2016) – 8 years
Aux Ptits Soins (2015) – 5 years
Whisper (2014) – 6 years
Medinas (2013) – 6 years
Son of Flicka (2012) – 8 years
Carlito Brigante (2011) – 5 years
So, looking at those ages, it’s clear that the most common range falls on horses between six and eight years old. As horses in this bracket have won 11 times in the last 15 editions of the race, betting on this age range would be a well-considered move.
How many Cheltenham Coral Cup winners won last time out?
Much like reviewing the age of a horse, being aware of how they performed in their last race is useful information to have up your sleeve. Winners of the Coral Cup seem to have struggled in the previous races, with only five of the last 15 tasting victory just before competing:
Jimmy Du Seuil (2025) – 5th in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Langer Dan (2024) – 14th in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Langer Dan (2023) – 8th in the Careers At dornangroup.com Relkeel Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Commander Of Fleet (2022) – 3rd in the BetVictor Boyne Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Heaven Help Us (2021) – 1st in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle
Dame Du Compagnie (2020) – 1st in the Park Mares’ Handicap Hurdle
William Henry (2019) – Pulled up in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Bleu Berry (2018) – 17th in the Coral Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Supasundae (2017) – 4th in the Ladbrokes Ireland Boyne Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Diamond King (2016) – 1st in the Follow Us On Facebook & Twitter Rated Hurdle
Aux Ptits Soins (2015) – 1st in the L’yonne Hurdle
Whisper (2014) – 2nd in the Burns Pet Nutrition Welsh Champion Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Medinas (2013) – 1st in the William Hill Welsh Champion Hurdle
Son of Flicka (2012) – 13th in the William Hill Lanzarote Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
Carlito Brigante (2011) – 2nd in the Corporate Hospitality At Fairyhouse Hurdle (didn’t win last time out)
As the last 15 years has been dominated by horses in poorer form, it’s best not to outright ignore any recent losers. Especially as horses that were nowhere near winning last time out have still won here – like Langer Dan (2024), who finished 14th, or Bleu Berry (2018), who came 17th. It shows anything can happen!
When did Cheltenham Coral Cup winners last compete?
Knowing a horse’s last race result is useful, but pairing it with how long ago that race was makes it even better. It shows ideal rest periods that don’t compromise a horse’s ability to compete at the top level.
Jimmy Du Seuil (2025) – 313 days
Langer Dan (2024) – 60 days
Langer Dan (2023) – 73 days
Commander Of Fleet (2022) – 22 days
Heaven Help Us (2021) – 38 days
Dame Du Compagnie (2020) – 88 days
William Henry (2019) – 77 days
Bleu Berry (2018) – 39 days
Supasundae (2017) – 24 days
Diamond King (2016) – 67 days
Aux Ptits Soins (2015) – 367 days
Whisper (2014) – 39 days
Medinas (2013) – 39 days
Son of Flicka (2012) – 60 days
Carlito Brigante (2011) – 46 days
If we take an average here, it looks like the typical winner has 90.1 days between races. This is largely distorted by the victories of Jimmy Du Seuil (2025) and Aux Ptits Soins (2015), with both having over 300 days separating their races. As the latter had over a year, it’s best to be wary that even if a horse has not raced in a while, they could still come back with a bang!
Are Cheltenham Coral Cup winners usually British or Irish trained?
The Coral Cup has been highly competitive between British and Irish trainers in the last 15 years. British trainers have won more, with eight victories under their belts, while the Irish have racked up seven wins in the same period:
Jimmy Du Seuil (2025) – Irish trained
Langer Dan (2024) – British trained
Langer Dan (2023) – British trained
Commander Of Fleet (2022) – Irish trained
Heaven Help Us (2021) – Irish trained
Dame Du Compagnie (2020) – British trained
William Henry (2019) – British trained
Bleu Berry (2018) – Irish trained
Supasundae (2017) – Irish trained
Diamond King (2016) – Irish trained
Aux Ptits Soins (2015) – British trained
Whisper (2014) – British trained
Medinas (2013) – British trained
Son of Flicka (2012) – British trained
Carlito Brigante (2011) – Irish trained
If you just look back at the last five editions of the race, though, Irish trainers have been stronger, winning in three – including the last time out.
Which trainer has had the most success in the Cheltenham Coral Cup?
Trainers are vitally important in preparing a horse correctly and helping them be competitive. The last 15 years have been mostly competitive between trainers, with both Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott earning three wins each:
Jimmy Du Seuil (2025) – Willie Mullins
Langer Dan (2024) – Dan Skelton
Langer Dan (2023) – Dan Skelton
Commander Of Fleet (2022) – Gordon Elliott
Heaven Help Us (2021) – Paul Hennessy
Dame Du Compagnie (2020) – Nicky Henderson
William Henry (2019) – Nicky Henderson
Bleu Berry (2018) – Willie Mullins
Supasundae (2017) – Jessica Harrington
Diamond King (2016) – Gordon Elliott
Aux Ptits Soins (2015) – Paul Nicholls
Whisper (2014) – Nicky Henderson
Medinas (2013) – Alan King
Son of Flicka (2012) – Donald McCain
Carlito Brigante (2011) – Gordon Elliott
Looking at the bigger picture, though, Henderson is the top trainer in this event. His win in 2010 raises his total to four wins, placing him above Elliott outright.
Although Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer in Cheltenham’s history, his two wins in 2018 and 2025 are the only ones on record for the Coral Cup. But can he continue his success at the festival and push closer to the record in 2026?
Why is it important to consider Cheltenham Coral Cup trends?
Making sure that you have relevant stats and historical trends in mind when betting is crucial. This could be anything from successful trainers’ records or even the age at which horses commonly win.
Having these in your back pocket could increase your chances of picking a winner, even if they can’t predict future results.
And if you’re keen to learn more information about races at the festival, have a read of our Cheltenham blog page to discover more guides like this one!
Cheltenham Coral Cup recent winners
Just so you have one last look at the recent winners before you bet, here are the last five to have been victorious at the Coral Cup:
Jimmy Du Seuil (2025)
Langer Dan (2024)
Langer Dan (2023)
Commander Of Fleet (2022)
Heaven Help Us (2021)
Eager to discover more about past winners here? Check out our guide covering recent Coral Cup winners!
