Date: Friday 17th March 2023
The Gold Cup once again looks set to go to a horse in that ideal age bracket with elite staying chase form already established. The race has become heavily shaped by Irish-trained runners and that angle is again impossible to ignore.
You still want a Grade 1 performer with Cheltenham experience and a lightly managed campaign, and this year’s market reflects that quite clearly. On the Turf Talk ratings there is one horse who just comes out in front, but the supporting cast is strong.
TURF TALK RATINGS - LEADING CONTENDERS
| Horse | Turf Talk Rating |
|---|---|
| Galopin Des Champs | 228 |
| Bravemansgame | 214 |
| A Plus Tard | 203 |
| Noble Yeats | 191 |
| Conflated | 182 |
| Protektorat | 176 |
| Minella Indo | 168 |
The strongest factors this year are age, Grade 1 form, top-end ratings and whether the horse has already shown championship-level stamina. Irish dominance is also a very live angle in the modern Gold Cup.
MAIN SELECTION
Galopin Des Champs (13/8 available)
He tops the ratings and looks the right horse for a modern Gold Cup.
He has the age, the class and the trainer profile, and he comes here with exactly the sort of Grade 1 form that has been such a powerful pointer in recent years. Irish-trained horses have dominated this race lately and he looks the standout among them.
BACKUP SELECTION 1
Bravemansgame (6/1 available)
The strongest British challenge and a horse with a proper staying chase profile.
He fits most of the key trends and has the level of class needed to run a huge race. If the favourite underperforms or fails to see it out as strongly as expected, he looks the one most likely to take advantage.
BACKUP SELECTION 2
A Plus Tard (9/2 available)
The defending champion still has to be respected even if the profile is a touch less straightforward than last year.
He has the class and the course credentials, but his recent build-up is not quite as smooth as the very best modern Gold Cup winners tend to bring. Even so, he remains a major player on ability.
SUMMARY
Galopin Des Champs tops the ratings and gets the vote, with Bravemansgame the strongest alternative and A Plus Tard still respected as last year’s winner.
