Date: Friday 14th March 2025
The Gold Cup trends have been remarkably reliable over the last decade and once again they seem to point towards the top end of the market. Irish-trained horses continue to dominate, and younger top-class stayers remain the most powerful angle of all.
What makes this year’s race especially interesting is the chance for a reigning champion to go for a third straight success. History bids are always compelling, but the ratings still have to back them up, and in this case they do.
These are the three that come out best on the Turf Talk figures.
TURF TALK RATINGS - LEADING CONTENDERS
| Horse | Turf Talk Rating |
|---|---|
| Galopin Des Champs | 232 |
| Inothewayurthinkin | 217 |
| Banbridge | 206 |
| Monty’s Star | 194 |
| Corbetts Cross | 186 |
| Royale Pagaille | 173 |
| Ahoy Senor | 166 |
The ratings once again put heavy emphasis on age, Irish-trained strength, recent Grade 1 form and whether the horse has already shown the level of stamina and jumping accuracy needed for a modern Gold Cup.
MAIN SELECTION
Galopin Des Champs (4/6 available)
He tops the ratings once again and fully deserves to head the market.
He has the age, the class, the stable and the previous Gold Cup form, which is exactly the mix you want in this race. Favourites have had an excellent recent record and he looks another who has every right to continue that trend.
BACKUP SELECTION 1
Inothewayurthinkin (9/1 available)
The most interesting alternative and one who fits plenty of the race’s stronger trends.
He is in the right age bracket, comes from an Irish yard and looks the type still improving as a staying chaser. He does not have the same level of proven Gold Cup form as the favourite, but the overall profile is very appealing.
BACKUP SELECTION 2
Banbridge (15/2 available)
Another with enough class to make the shortlist.
He has the quality and arrives with a profile that suggests he can mix it in top company. He still has to prove a little more as an out-and-out Gold Cup horse, but on ability he is too strong to leave out.
SUMMARY
Galopin Des Champs tops the ratings and is taken as the main selection again, with Inothewayurthinkin and Banbridge looking the strongest alternatives in a race where the modern Gold Cup trends still point very strongly towards the favourite.
