Discover where to focus your attention during the build-up to Cheltenham, if you’re hoping to spot a future Gold Cup winner – including how many races they run.
The Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the Cheltenham Festival, and the day four feature race, with winning horses immortalised among the greats of jump racing. But, before becoming a champion of the ages, in which races across the same National Hunt season did they find their feet?
In this article, we’ve explored which preluding jump races can genuinely be considered Gold Cup trials and turn out future legends. Of course, if you’re keen to see the current expected Gold Cup lineup, you can dive straight into the latest Cheltenham betting odds.
Where do Gold Cup winners typically compete before Cheltenham?
Are there any races that future Gold Cup winners consistently compete in before taking on Cheltenham’s premier race? Yes! Incidentally, there are three jump races that have recently stood out as being key Gold Cup trials.
Irish Gold Cup
A key Cheltenham Gold Cup trend: the Irish Gold Cup features prominently when reviewing previous entries by same-season Gold Cup winners. In fact, the last four champions took part in the prestigious chase at Ireland’s Leopardstown, with A Plus Tard (2022) the last horse not listed as a competitor. Over the last 10 seasons, six Gold Cup winners have raced here.
That said – though Galopin Des Champs swept gold across the board in 2023 and 2024 – it’s not always a Cheltenham-Leopardstown Gold Cup double, with Gaelic Warrior (2026) and Inothewayurthinkin (2025) finishing 2nd and 4th, respectively, in Ireland. Instead, perhaps consider the wider ‘placing’ pool, with three of the last four Cheltenham Gold Cup winners placing at February’s Leopardstown meet.
This season’s Irish Gold Cup is due to occur on Saturday 30th January 2027 as part of the Dublin Racing Festival.
John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase
Like the Irish Gold Cup, Cheltenham Gold Cup champs also regularly partake in the John Durkan, at Punchestown, including the last four victors. It’s worth highlighting that this is a more recent Gold Cup precursor, with the six winners before not partaking here.
Notably, last season’s Gold Cup winner Gaelic Warrior also won at the John Durkan, matching Galopin Des Champs’ 2023 effort. In the interim years, Galopin Des Champs and Inothewayurthinkin achieved 3rd and 7th place finishes here, respectively.
If you’re interested to see how this year’s event transpires, the John Durkan is scheduled to take place on Sunday 22nd November at Punchestown Racecourse. Curiously, Gaelic Warrior, Fact to File, Kitzbuhel, and Final Demand, each among the Cheltenham favourites, are all billed to take part in this Gold Cup trial – so keep an eye on the outcome!
Savills Chase
The Savills Chase is another meet that often turns out future Cheltenham Gold Cup winners, with three of the last five also running here, at Leopardstown, in the same season (and five of the last ten). This includes Inothewayurthinkin (2025), Galopin Des Champs (2024), and A Plus Tard (2022). Last season’s Gold Cup winner, Gaelic Warrior, instead opted to run at Kempton Park’s King George VI Chase.
You can catch the results of this year’s edition of the Savills Chase after it takes place on Monday 28th December as part of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.
What about the King George VI Chase?
Perhaps surprisingly, only one of the last ten Cheltenham Gold Cup winners (and 2 of the last 15) also competed in the King George VI Chase in the same season: the most recent winner, Gaelic Warrior (2026), who finished third at Kempton in a thrilling photo finish.
This is in stark contrast to the trend between 2000-2011, a period in which 8/11 Gold Cup winners also ran at Kempton Park months earlier – versus just three at Leopardstown’s Christmas Chase.
Based on recent history, however, despite its strong stature, the King George hasn’t necessarily ended up being a recent Gold Cup trial race for would-be winners; so, if you’re interested in predicting Gold Cup glory, it might be worth getting your racing fix via the Savills Chase instead.
How many jump season races do Gold Cup winners compete in?
If we look at the last five years, a Gold Cup winner typically competes in three other National Hunt races before taking on the big one in March. This includes the last three victors, Gaelic Warrior (2026), Inothewayurthinkin (2025), and Galopin Des Champs (2024), while Galopin Des Champs (2023) and A Plus Tard (2022) took part in two.
How do Gold Cup winners get on before Cheltenham?
Typically, future Gold Cup winners enter Cheltenham in reasonably good form, with the 2026, 2024, 2023, and 2022 champions earning top three finishes across the board in their preliminaries. 2025 Gold Cup icon Inothewayurthinkin is the outlier, placing 4th, 5th, and 7th in his three Gold Cup trials. So, if you’re making Gold Cup predictions, history suggests it’s worth ruling in those in good form.
How to bet on the Gold Cup with Betway
Betting on the Gold Cup is made straightforward, with Betway. We’re currently offering ante post odds across all the key Cheltenham Festival races, including Friday’s crowning meet. Just head on over to our horse racing betting page or explore our introduction to Gold Cup betting. And in the meantime, why not explore our 4-to-Win offer, a free-to-play horse predictor game that offers real cash prizes.
