The 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup: guide and predicted finishing order

There was a time, not so long ago, when the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup taunted and teased Willie Mullins.

Having saddled the runner-up six times, yet still not won Jump racing’s greatest prize, the master trainer must have despaired of ever getting his hands on the small but coveted trophy.

His elusive quest looked like continuing in 2019 when three of his four runners were out of the race before halfway. But his other challenger, Al Boum Photo, was all he needed, with the 12-1 chance taking the glory under Paul Townend.

Al Boum Photo retained his title the following year but came up short in the next two renewals. By that time, Mullins had another burgeoning stayer in his ranks ready to pick up the baton.

Galopin Des Champs has avenged one of the unluckiest defeats ever seen at the meeting – when falling after the final fence in the Turners’ with victory at his mercy – by lifting the Gold Cup for the past two years.

Having resigned himself to never winning the race, Mullins can now not stop winning it. He requires one more triumph to match the record-breaking five that Tom Dreaper managed.

Dreaper, of course, was considerably helped by the three Gold Cups that the incomparable Arkle achieved between 1964-66. Only one other horse, Best Mate, has since won the great race three times.

Barring misfortune, Galopin Des Champs will have the chance to emulate them on Friday. His foundations are strong, but the opposition, the 22 fences and Dame Fortune will all have to be conquered on the big day.

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Festival form: 1F11. Grade One wins: 11. Odds: 1-2.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown? It does not seem applicable to the imperious Galopin Des Champs, who keeps carrying all before him. 

He must avoid banana skins on Friday but, barring mishaps, a third Gold Cup seems to beckon. 

Arkle and Best Mate have been the only three-time winners in the past 60 years, underlining the magnitude of such an achievement, but he is still only nine years of age and seems better than ever. Maybe he could even match the five Gold Cups that Golden Miller won in the 1930s, at a time when the race did not have the same prestige as it does now. 

Galopin Des Champs was dominant from start to finish when landing a third Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, and it had been a similar story when he scooped a second Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, having been an encouraging comeback third in the John Durkan over a shorter trip at Punchestown. 

He has put Fact To File, his stablemate, in his place in his past two races, and that horse gave a nod to the form when breezing home in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday, albeit when dropping in trip.

Galopin Des Champs is versatile regards the ground, jumped as well as he ever has last time, reflected by the RaceiQ metrics, and then, of course, there is his relish for the challenges that Cheltenham provides. 

Victory in the 2023 Gold Cup from off the pace was not without some early discomfort but he always looked like retaining his crown under his now more customary positive tactics last year.

Before those victories came his triumph in the 2021 Martin Pipe and luckless final fence departure in the Turners 12 months later, when he had a wide-margin victory in the bag only to seemingly trip himself up after the final fence.

Finding chinks in his armour is a thankless task; he's clear on official ratings; and Mullins is content for him to run solo.

This is a horse who may yet match, at the least, the 16 Grade One triumphs that the revered Kauto Star won during his decorated career.

Festival form: P2. Grade One wins: 0. Odds: 14-1. 

Minella Indo and A Plus Tard have been recent Gold Cup winners for Henry De Bromhead and there’s little doubt the trainer has a twinkle in his eye when this imposing bay is mentioned in conversation.

He signed off his hurdling career with a tame display in the 2023 Albert Bartlett, but we were only ever going to see the best of him over fences.

A stone of improvement has already been found but defeats behind Corbetts Cross (in a Fairyhouse beginners’ chase), Fact To File (second in the Brown Advisory), Spillane’s Tower (runner-up at Punchestown) Embassy Gardens (second on his return at Tramore) and Galopin Des Champs (fifth in the Irish Gold Cup) reflect that he's in danger of being nicknamed "Yardstick".

As a novice, he looked the type who would progress again once getting a proper test of stamina but his comeback defeat on New Year’s Day, when getting 6lb from Embassy Gardens, looked a good opportunity spurned. Perhaps he needed the run, which would not be a great surprise given his physique.

You can also half-excuse his Irish Gold Cup run as his stable was quiet at the time.

The excuses are beginning to mount but De Bromhead's horses have been running well this week and he pulled off a superb double on Thursday.

Montys Star looks a fair bet to chase Galopin Des Champs home, or you can back him at 5-1 with William Hill in a market that excludes the hot favourite.

Festival form: 1. Grade One wins: 1. Odds: 7-1.

Fact To File was in the Gold Cup up until Saturday, but now he's out. Inothewayuthinkin was out of the Gold Cup until Saturday, but now he's in after being supplemented for £25,000.

JP McManus, the owner of both, has cost himself a chunk of money by getting in a bit of a tangle with who to have in and out of the race, and there's still no guarantee he has stopped shuffling his cards, as it seems the word "soft" will need to be in the going description for Inothewayuthinkin to be in the final line-up.

Those who have supported Inothewayuthinkin at fancy prices for the Grand National will be nervous, as a clash with Galopin Des Champs three weeks before Aintree would hardly be an obvious plus, regadless of what occurs.

Had Fact To File been more convincing in the stamina department, then it is highly unlikely that Inothewayuthinkin would have been summoned from the substitute's bench.

He is blessed with plenty of staying power, as she showed when landing a monumental gamble in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir 12 months ago.

That success was gained off a mark of 145, but he's shown himself to be more than a handicapper and is now rated 160.

He won a Grade One at Aintree after his Cheltenham victory last year - at the main expense of Iroko - and has improved with each of his three runs this term, albeit finishing behind Galopin Des Champs on each occasion.

Inothewayuthinkin ran as well as he's ever done last time, when seven lengths fourth in the Irish Gold Cup. There's nothing to suggest he will suddenly turn the tables on Galopin Des Champs, but there is still chunky money on offer for the placed horses and what if the favourite has a mishap or underperforms?

McManus has clearly decided that is a £25,000 gamble he is prepared to take.

Festival form: 10. Grade One wins: 3. Odds: 5-1. 

Banbridge has done most of his racing at up to 2m 4f but stayed on strongly to claw back Il Est Francais in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.  

You’ve got to admire his versatility because he took the scalp of Captain Guinness, the champion two-mile chaser, at the Punchestown Festival last season and he was making a bold attempt to concede 10lb to Energumene in the Hilly Way at Cork (2m) , only for that horse to jump across him at the final fence and his jockey to be unseated. 

He’s a superb jumper and we know he can handle the hurly-burly of the Festival, having won the Martin Pipe in 2022. 

The stamina on the dam’s side of his pedigree undoubtedly served him well at Kempton, as did the prevailing good ground, as decent going does seem essential for him.

He missed the 2023 Turners’ Novice Chase because of soft ground and his connections were left regretting running him on a deep surface in last year’s Ryanair Chase, as he never figured. 

His supporters will be encouraged by the prospect of goodish ground but has he got the staying power? I'm not convinced.

Festival form: R1. Grade One wins: 0. Odds: 16-1. 

He’s been something of a slow burner with eventful episodes along the way. 

These included him running out at the last in the 2023 Albert Bartlett when he spied a gap at the final flight and found his curiosity getting the better of him. I’m pretty sure he would have won but that will be of little comfort to those who sent him off a well-backed favourite. 

His novice chase campaign had a bit of everything, including various instances of scruffy jumping and further misfortune, but everything came together for him at Cheltenham in March when he ran away with the National Hunt Chase. That race had become the poor relation among the novice chases at the Festival before being reshaped last autumn, although it did show that Corbetts Cross is blessed with rich reserves of stamina.  

But is that staying power enough to compensate for his occasional jumping lapses and slight quirks? This term has comprised a defeat in a three-runner race at Wexford; a never dangerous sixth in the King George; and then a distant second in Ascot Chase when he looked short of gears. 

Moving back up in trip should help him, but his jumping lacks dash and he would be better served by softer ground.

Festival form: 1P. Grade One wins: 1. Odds: 50-1.

Made just about all in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase in 2023 but the lows have since outnumbered the highs, including when he was pulled up in the Gold Cup last year. 

Landed the Charlie Hall Chase tat Wetherby in November at the main expense of Bravemansgame and Sam Brown, but that form is a few notches short of what is required.

He finished fourth (for the second year running) in the King George on his latest outing where he stayed on late.

Festival form: 2F. Grade One wins: 0. Odds: 80-1.

Has got some high-class form on his CV and was travelling well when falling five fences from home in the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

He also shaped well on his return in the Old Roan Chase this season, but he has since twice run poorly in the Betfair Chase and at Windsor - being pulled up on each occasion.

Now arrives with plenty to prove, although the yard had a confidence-boosting winner in the same colours on Tuesday.

Festival form: P. Grade One wins: 0. Odds: 66-1. 

Trainer Mouse Morris won this race in 2006 with War of Attrition and this handsome grey  looked to be going places when turning away Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall at the start of last season but things have been tougher since.

A poor run in this race last year was followed by improved efforts at Aintree and Punchestown and his return to action in the Savills Chase, when third to Galopin Des Champs, offered even more positivity.

However, he could not replicate that effort in the Cotswold Chase. It could be that Cheltenham just isn't for him.

Festival form: 656. Grade One wins: 2. Odds: 100-1. 

Mud-loving Haydock warrior who justified strong market support to wrestle victory from the strong-travelling Grey Dawning in the latest Betfair Chase, retaining his title.

However, he then missed the King George with an eleventh-hour setback and has since twice run below-par at his favourite racecourse.

Sixth in this race two years ago, having been fifth in 2022 to A Plus Tard. But he would prefer deeper ground and his yard is very quiet, with six of their nine runners at Cheltenham this week either being pulled up or finishing last.