The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most prestigious steeplechase in the sport. The race is watched by millions around the world, and horse racing fans in the Algarve will be excited about the prospect of this year’s race.
Galopin Des Champs is one of the 19 runners given an entry in the day four feature at the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
He may be joined in the race by John Durkan Memorial Chase winner Fact To File, King George winner Banbridge, and several of last season’s leading novices.
Defending Champion Is on A Hat-Trick Bid
After wins in the Gold Cup in 2023 and 2024, Galopin Des Champs will complete a hat-trick in the race should he be triumphant this year. He is the 4/5 favorite in the Cheltenham 2025 betting for a third consecutive success.
The biggest threat to the defending champion this year is set to come from his stablemate, Fact To File, who has Gold Cup ante post odds of 4/1. He defeated Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown back in November. The Gold Cup winner then reversed that form when winning the Savills Chase at Leopardstown during the Festival period.
Galopin Des Champs is set to have the same route to Cheltenham as he has in each of his last two seasons. He will run in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival on his final start before he makes the trip across the Irish Sea for the biggest meeting of the campaign.
Fact To File Has Multiple Entries
Although Fact To File does have a victory over Galopin Des Champs this season, his participation in the Gold Cup is not certain. Mullins has also given his horse an entry in the Ryanair Chase over the shorter distance of 2m5f.
Fact To File’s Gold Cup bid may depend on how well he fares in the Irish Gold Cup. Last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner has shown he has the speed and stamina to fare well in both races at Cheltenham. His trainer must determine which he feels gives him the best chance of prevailing across the week.
At the age of eight, Fact To File is one of the youngest horses in the Gold Cup entries. He has an excellent record at the meeting as he was also second in the Champion Bumper in 2023.
Banbridge Showed What He Is Capable of At Kempton
The King George VI Chase is the second-biggest race of the season in the 3m chase division and the latest renewal was won by Banbridge. Joseph O’Brien’s runner reeled in the early leader Il Est Francais in the final couple of furlongs of the Grade One contest.
Banbridge is now a three-time winner at the highest level. He landed the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree during his first season over fences. A second Grade One triumph came last season at the Punchestown Festival, while his latest run was a career-best performance.
No horse since Long Run in 2012 has won the King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season, but Banbridge will get the chance to complete the impressive double in the division.
This year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place on Friday, 14th March at the new time of 16:00 (WET).
