Cheltenham Gold Cup: With Galopin Des Champs, class will prevail
Read this articleCheltenham Gold Cup: Perfect Conditions for A Plus Tard
The £625,000 Cheltenham Gold Cup (G1) is the highlight of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, and one of the richest horse races over fences in the world! A field of 11 top-flight chasers will line up Friday, March 18 for this three mile, two and a half furlong race, with both a huge purse and one of horse racing’s most iconic titles up for grabs.
Two previous winners are entered for repeat glory this year. Willie Mullins trainee Al Boum Photo, who won the horse race in 2019 and 2020 and ran third in 2022, returns to the lineup. Minella Indo, who sprung the upset in 2021 for the Henry de Bromhead yard, will attempt to join the illustrious list of repeat winners.
Will either Al Boum Photo or Minella Indo continue their Cheltenham fairytale, or will a new horse get to write a triumphant chapter? Read on to find out!
Betting the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup Online
Though Cheltenham is an entire ocean away, you can still be part of the action by betting the race online in Florida! Florida bettors have many great options for online racebooks. These sites offer excellent benefits that betting in-person at the OTB or racetrack doesn’t, and it’s even more convenient because you can bet anywhere with an Internet connection!
Choosing the right place to bet online can feel difficult since there are so many choices out there. Fortunately for you, our experts have gotten to know the options. They can help you sort through the features, and find the website with the best bonuses for your wagering style. This means you can make the most of the cash-back bonuses and rebates!
Here are the best wagering sites for Florida-based horseplayers:
Handicapping the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup
Now that you have your online betting account, it is time to get to know the field and pick a winner in the Cheltenham Gold Cup! Read on for expert analysis to help you win big on GOld Cup day!
2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup Horses
This is the official field for the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup including draw numbers, trainers, and jockeys:
- Al Boum Photo (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend)
- A Plus Tard (Henry de Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore)
- Asterion Forlonge (Willie Mullins/Bryan Cooper)
- Aye Right (Harriet Graham & Gary Rutherford/Callum Bewley)
- Chantry House (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville)
- Galvin (Gordon Elliott/Davy Russell)
- Minella Indo (Henry de Bromhead/Robbie Power)
- Protektorat (Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton)
- Royale Pagaille (Venetia Williams/Charlie Deutsch)
- Santini (Polly Gundry/Nick Scholfield)
- Tornado Flyer (Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins)
As the race draws closer, it pays to watch the odds on each horse. If you see odds online that are better than the horse’s real odds to win, it is the right time to place your bet. This is because online racebooks offer fixed-odds betting. This means, instead of the fluctuating odds you get at a track, you can lock in the best betting odds at the moment you place your wager!
Here are the Cheltenham Gold Cup odds for the horses at the top of the market:
2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup Favorite
Though two returning champion try to win again, the advantage in this year’s edition goes to the horse who finished second last year: A Plus Tard. Though he was beaten by Galvin last out in the Savills Chase (G1) in December, he can turn the tables. A Plus Tard likes Cheltenham, and a little more cut in the ground this time than last out at Leopardstown means he can turn around that short-head margin from last out.
A Plus Tard also has the advantage of Rachael Blackmore in the saddle. No one has been riding the big jumps races as well as she has been, particularly for the yard of Henry de Bromhead, who trains A Plus Tard. Galvin is in good enough form to figure, but there is a lot to think A Plus Tard will turn the tables.
Al Boum Photo appeals for a piece of the action, though not for the win. He won the race in 2019 and 2020, but may not be quite as sharp at age ten. Recent history also suggests ten-year-olds hit the board in the Gold Cup, but do not win. Still, he is more consistent than last year’s winner Minella Indo, and at a bit better price, he intrigues for the underneath shares of exotics.
2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup Longer Shots
Protektorat is the rising star in the division. He comes into the Gold Cup after a 25-length romp over 2018 Gold Cup winner Native River at Aintree last year. Though Native River was at the tail end of his career, Protektorat was trying over three miles for the first time, and that win came over soft going. This suggests he is finding his stride under similar conditions as he will face this time, and he rates an each-way chance.
Tornado Flyer, one of the longer-priced Willie Mullins entrants, also makes sense for exotics. He was a 28-1 outsider when he won the King George VI (G1) last out, his first win in two years. It suggests he is in some of his better form, he should take well to soft ground again, and his third in the Ryanair Chase (G1) last year suggests some affinity for Cheltenham.
2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup Free Picks
Now that you know where and how to bet the race online, here are the best bets for Friday’s 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup:
- $20 to win - #2 A Plus Tard
- $10 each-way - #8 Protektorat
- $1 exacta key - #2 A Plus Tard with #6 Galvin and #8 Protektorat
- $0.50 trifecta key - #2 A Plus Tard with #1 Al Boum Photo, #6 Galvin and #8 Protektorat
- $0.20 superfecta key - #2 A Plus Tard with #1 Al Boum Photo, #6 Galvin, #8 Protektorat, and #11 Tornado Flyer
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