Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Tips 2025
For racing bettors, there are few occasions in the UK calendar that even begin to compare to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. This year, many expect a procession for the odds-on favorite – but could he be beaten?
The Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious races of any year, the big prize of the Cheltenham Festival and the pinnacle of National Hunt racing. With a list of past winners that includes such names as Arkle, Desert Orchid and Kauto Star, victory here gives any horse and jockey a place in the annals of racing history.
Why you should bet on the Cheltenham Gold Cup at bet365
Even novice bettors are often interested in making a bet on the Gold Cup due to its prestige and the excitement that surrounds the race. Finding the right bookmaker to back your hunches isn’t easy, but bet365 is popular among regulars and dilettantes for a reason. With an excellent bet365 bonus for new customers and some of the strongest promotions for returning bettors, it has secured a place as one of the top bookies in the world and has loyal customers well beyond its native UK.
bet365 has an incredibly easy interface to get used to and is appreciated for its fair odds, a wide range of betting markets and live streaming options on a number of sports including soccer, tennis and indeed racing. If you’re looking for the ideal place to make your bet on this year’s enthralling Cheltenham Festival, and particularly on the Gold Cup, then bet365 is the place for you.
Cheltenham Gold Cup 2025 Preview
There is no point beating around the bush when it comes to the likely outcome of this year’s race. Galopin des Champs is odds-on with every bookie – bet365’s price of 1.50 is the longest you’re likely to find on him ahead of the off, and it’s rare enough to find an odds-on contender in a race of this pedigree. We also know that being odds-on isn’t a problem for the Willie Mullins trainee; he galloped home last year from 1.90. At even shorter odds this year, he might as well be running on a red carpet.
Nonetheless, it is possible for odds-on favorites to lose, even ones as good as this. And to merely get to the starting line here means a horse has potential, so it certainly shouldn’t be a case of just listing the also-rans. If Paul Townsend’s mount doesn’t have the best time on Friday, then there are other contenders who wouldn’t look out of place in the winner’s paddock. JP O’Brien doesn’t show up to any meeting just for the good of his health, and his chestnut gelding Banbridge is attracting a lot of attention. The eight-year-old showed his staying power to head off Il Est Francais on his last run in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. At the very least, he should be seen as a worthwhile each-way prospect.
While the racing world’s attention was on Galopin des Champs at last year’s festival, there were other races going on, and the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup was one of them. In a congested race, it was Inothewayurthinkin that broke clear two from the finish and eventually won handily over the flat. He’s considered one of the challengers here and the ability to survive a messy race could stand him in good stead here. It’s an infinitely more notable field but he’s got a further year under his belt and could be a danger to the favorites at 8.00.
Rounding out the field of contenders with odds in the single figures, and the second French horse in our rundown behind the favourite, Fact to File has a shout, although he will need to improve on his third-place run in the Irish Gold Cup at the beginning of February. That race was won by Galopin des Champs and after running hard, Fact to File ran out of steam late on making no impression on the winner. Indeed, he’s been beaten by his compatriot in his last two outings, finishing second after pressing the leader down the straight in the Savills Chase in December.
Is there any value beyond these names? It depends on who you ask; you’ll struggle in vain to find many tipsters prepared to mention any possible winner beyond Galopin des Champs, but if you’re looking for a good each-way bet you might find some worth in Monty’s Star, whose best price to win is 11.00 with bet365 and others. He’s fifth in the running with most bookies, which reflects precisely his result in the Irish edition of this race in February. He’ll need to show some improvement here to threaten the field; back then he pressed the leaders early but was fourth jumping the last and fading, finishing behind three of the horses he’ll face here.
Best Bets
Galopin des Champs (1.50): So the odds are very short, but it could be argued that for a rider so likely to win they still represent some value. There is a reason he’s fancied; he’s faced most of these runners already and beaten them without much discomfort. He’ll have been handled to perfection coming into the big day and should win without blinking.
Banbridge (5.00): Probably offering more value as an each-way contender, if any horse here has a claim to be challenging the favourite, it’s Banbridge. He’s got history with not just Galopin des Champs but most of the horses here, and he’s emerged ahead of most of them. If there’s to be a surprise winner, it’s possibly him.
Grangeclare West (21.00): If you’re looking for more of a punt, then you could probably do worse than back this American-bred prospect. He finished second at the Irish Gold Cup ahead of most of these runners, although was a distant fifth in his last outing at Navan on March 1st. The going was heavy then; if Cheltenham is firmer he could be an excellent long-shot.
Final Thoughts
It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? The interest in this race could well come from what happens behind Galopin des Champs because he’s well ahead of the field here. If you can handle a punt, there are definitely some horses of interest, but we’re not going to predict anything other than a win for the favorite here.
