What does history have to say about the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Improve your knowledge ahead of placing a bet, by reading our Gold Cup trends guide!
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most reputable jumps race of the year and is always a fantastic spectacle. It boasts the biggest prize fund for a non-handicap race, boasting a total of £625,000 to be split between the jockeys, trainers, and owners.
However, if you are a newcomer to Cheltenham or horse racing in general, it’s good to know which trends and stats you should be aware of when betting on the Gold Cup. This will help you to make the most of your bets and prevent you from making any spur of the moment decisions!
To get you started on some trends to be aware of, we have broken down some of the more common ones that have appeared in recent history. Keep reading to help yourself form the best betting strategies for the pinnacle race at Cheltenham Festival
Key Gold Cup trends
Looking back on the race’s history, it strongly favours horses that have previously won a Grade 1 race and horses that have either already won or placed at Cheltenham. The Cheltenham Gold Cup has shown that it really tests a horse’s jumping abilities and stamina, with 22 fences to clear before the last climb up to the line. The race’s winners list is also home to incredibly well-known names in the horse racing world.
Being able to predict who will be successful in the next edition of the Cheltenham Gold Cup can be a tough one to get right. However, taking in some of the trends we are about to run through may just lessen the burden for you when you are about to place your next bet.
Does the favourite usually win the Gold Cup?
Though the favourite is often expected to win in horse racing, that trend doesn’t necessarily apply to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Over the last 25 years, less than half of the favourites have gone on to win the race (12)! More recently however, that seems to have changed, with 4 of the last 6 favourites claiming victory.
Inothewayurthinkin (2025) – 15/2
Galopin Des Champs (2024) – 10/11f
Galopin Des Champs (2023) – 7/5f
A Plus Tard (2022) – 3/1f
Minella Indo (2021) – 9/1
Al Boum Photo (2020) – 10/3f
Al Boum Photo (2019) – 12/1
Native River (2018) – 5/1
Sizing John (2017) – 7/1
Don Cossack (2016) – 9/4f
Coneygree (2015) – 7/1
Lord Windermere (2014) – 20/1
Bobs Worth (2013) – 11/4f
Synchronised (2012) – 8/1
Long Run (2011) – 7/2f
As you can see, the favourites win rate is very inconsistent over the last 15 years. The bookies’ pick appeared to go back to winning ways after seeing victory three years in a row between 2022 and 2024, but Inothewayurthinkin came out on top last time around at 15/2. Interestingly, Galopin Des Champs in 2024 was the only odds-on favourite to win the race in the last 15 years!
If you want to learn more about how often the top picks achieve first place at the Gold Cup, have a look at our guide covering how often the favourite wins at Cheltenham.
What is the average age of a Gold Cup winning horse?
To enter the Cheltenham Gold Cup, horses must be aged 5 or older. Typically, horses don’t win in their first year though, with the prime age being a couple of years older if history is anything to go by.
Inothewayurthinkin (2025) – 7 years
Galopin Des Champs (2024) – 8 years
Galopin Des Champs (2023) – 7 years
A Plus Tard (2022) – 8 years
Minella Indo (2021) – 8 years
Al Boum Photo (2020) – 8 years
Al Boum Photo (2019) – 7 years
Native River (2018) – 8 years
Sizing John (2017) – 7 years
Don Cossack (2016) – 9 years
Coneygree (2015) – 8 years
Lord Windermere (2014) – 8 years
Bobs Worth (2013) – 8 years
Synchronised (2012) – 9 years
Long Run (2011) – 6 years
Long Run’s win in 2011 stands out as being the youngest horse to see victory, not only in the last 15 years, but since 2000! Every other winner since 2000 has been aged 7-9. The most common age to win seems to be 8, with horses of that age winning in 8 of the last 15 occasions the Gold Cup has been ran.
How many Cheltenham Gold Cup winners won last time out?
Winning last time out can be a strong indicator as to whether or not a horse will be successful in their next race. Relying solely on it may not help you, but in the case of the Cheltenham Gold Cup it is a useful guide. Of the last 15 winners, 11 of them won their previous race:
Inothewayurthinkin (2025) – 4th in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup Chase
Galopin Des Champs (2024) – 1st in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup
Galopin Des Champs (2023) – 1st in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup
A Plus Tard (2022) – 2nd in the Savills Chase
Minella Indo (2021) – 4th in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup
Al Boum Photo (2020) – 1st in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase
Al Boum Photo (2019) – 1st in the Savills Chase
Native River (2018) – 1st in the Betfair Denman Chase
Sizing John (2017) – 1st in the Stan James Irish Gold Cup
Don Cossack (2016) – 1st in the Ladbrokes Ireland Kinloch Brae Chase
Coneygree (2015) – 1st in the Betfair Denman Chase
Lord Windermere (2014) – 6th in the Hennessy Gold Cup
Bobs Worth (2013) – 1st in the Hennessy Gold Cup Chase
Synchronised (2012) – 1st in the Lexus Chase
Long Run (2011) – 1st in the William Hill King George VI Chase
As you can see, only 4 horses didn’t win last time out, with all but 1 still finishing in the top 4. So, despite not all horses winning in their last race, good form is something to keep an eye on!
When did Gold Cup winners last compete?
Sure, winning last time out can be good, but if it’s been a while since a horse’s last race, it may not be that useful to know about! That is why checking how long it’s been since a horse last raced is also a good idea. Previous winners and their rest period include:
Inothewayurthinkin (2025) – 41 days
Galopin Des Champs (2024) – 41 days
Galopin Des Champs (2023) – 41 days
A Plus Tard (2022) – 80 days
Minella Indo (2021) – 40 days
Al Boum Photo (2020) – 72 days
Al Boum Photo (2019) – 73 days
Native River (2018) – 34 days
Sizing John (2017) – 33 days
Don Cossack (2016) – 64 days
Coneygree (2015) – 34 days
Lord Windermere (2014) – 33 days
Bobs Worth (2013) – 104 days
Synchronised (2012) – 79 days
Long Run (2011) – 62 days
Generally, horses that have won the Gold Cup have had roughly just over a month to a month and a half between races. The general average over the last 15 years is about 55 days, but the number will be skewed to appear higher by horses such as Bobs Worth (2013) and A Plus Tard (2022). The two of them had much longer periods between races with 104 days and 80 days respectively.
Are Cheltenham Gold Cup winners usually British or Irish trained?
Horses that are Irish trained certainly dominate the last 15 years, with only four British horses seeing victory during this time. Trainers such as Willie Mullins (4) and Henry De Bromhead (6) are largely responsible for this dominance by Irish trainers in recent history.
Inothewayurthinkin (2025) –Irish trained
Galopin Des Champs (2024) – Irish trained
Galopin Des Champs (2023) – Irish trained
A Plus Tard (2022) – Irish trained
Minella Indo (2021) – Irish trained
Al Boum Photo (2020) – Irish trained
Al Boum Photo (2019) – Irish trained
Native River (2018) – British trained
Sizing John (2017) – Irish trained
Don Cossack (2016) – Irish trained
Coneygree (2015) – British trained
Lord Windermere (2014) – Irish trained
Bobs Worth (2013) – British trained
Synchronised (2012) – Irish trained
Long Run (2011) – British trained
Which trainer has had the most success in the Gold Cup?
As mentioned in the previous section, Willie Mullins has seen lots of success over the last few years, winning 4 out of the last 7 races! When looking at all-time records though, Mullins falls just short of the leading trainer Tom Dreaper, who has won the race a record 5 times in 1946, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1968. Winners since 2011 include:
Inothewayurthinkin (2025) – Gavin Cromwell
Galopin Des Champs (2024) – Willie Mullins
Galopin Des Champs (2023) – Willie Mullins
A Plus Tard (2022) – Henry De Bromhead
Minella Indo (2021) – Henry De Bromhead
Al Boum Photo (2020) – Willie Mullins
Al Boum Photo (2019) – Willie Mullins
Native River (2018) – Colin Tizzard
Sizing John (2017) – Jessica Harrington
Don Cossack (2016) – Gordon Elliott
Coneygree (2015) – Mark Bradstock
Lord Windermere (2014) – Jim Culloty
Bobs Worth (2013) – Nicky Henderson
Synchronised (2012) – Jonjo O’Neill
Long Run (2011) – Nicky Henderson
Nicky Henderson, despite being the most successful British trainer at Cheltenham, has only got two Gold Cup wins under his belt, with his last coming over a decade ago in 2013. Henry De Bromhead matches Henderson’s two wins after back-to-back victories with Galopin Des Champs in 2021 and 2022. De Bromhead is also the only trainer to have won multiple times in the last 14 years other than Mullins.
Why is it important to consider Gold Cup trends?
After covering a few of the most prominent patterns and trends over the last 15 years at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, we will now look at why it is important to keep them in mind when placing your next bets!
Most notably, while odds are a useful indicator of potential performance, they never guarantee success. So, it’s helpful to also consider the likes of who won last time out and which horses are in the ‘favoured’ age range.
It’s also important to consider multiple different trends when choosing a racehorse, to ensure you make an informed choice and give yourself the best chance at finding a winner.
If you’re looking for more tips about betting on other races held at Cheltenham Festival, head on over to our Cheltenham blog page to look at more guides like this one!
Cheltenham Gold Cup recent winners
If you would like to find out more about previous winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, take a look at our Cheltenham Gold Cup winners blog which has everything you need to know! Until then, here is a reminder of the last 5 winners so that you can keep them in mind when you next make a bet:
Inothewayurthinkin (2025)
Galopin Des Champs (2024)
Galopin Des Champs (2023)
A Plus Tard (2022)
Minella Indo (2021)
