Treble-seeking Galopin Des Champs heads expected small field of 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners

As Galopin Des Champs aims to become the first since Best Mate to win three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups, we look at the possible 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners that are expected to take him on.

Two-time winner Galopin Des Champs heads Cheltenham Gold Cup runners 2025

Galopin Des Champs, arguably the most popular and universally loved racehorse in training, heads back to Prestbury Park in 2025 seeking a third consecutive victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Willie Mullins’ flagship star began the season in November with a promising run in defeat at Punchestown in the John Durkan Chase at a track and trip considered less than ideal for the way he goes about his work.

His stablemate Fact To File took the spoils that day and headed the early markets for Cheltenham but it wouldn’t be long before the cream rose to the top and Galopin Des Champs reasserted his position.

He followed that up with a monstrous performance to win the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas, reversing the form with Fact To File to pull away by 7½ lengths and shoot back to the roof of the Gold Cup market.

Galopin Des Champs last seen winning the Irish Gold Cup

Last time out Galopin Des Champs romped home in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, making all the running in emphatic fashion to win the race for a third consecutive year.

Which is a plus for the Cheltenham Gold Cup trends as 21 of the last 24 winners finished 1st or 2nd in their last race.

As per the best horse racing betting sites in the UK, the nine-year-old is a general 1/2 shot to win at the Cheltenham Festival and further cement his title as one of the best staying chasers of all-time.

In 22 career runs, the Audrey Turley-owned sensation has tallied 14 wins – 11 of which coming at Grade 1 level and there is virtually no strong opposition to his case in 2025.

Many believe the 2025 renewal is in fact the weakest Cheltenham Gold Cup that Galopin Des Champs will be a part of and that is majorly down to his incredible level of dominance and the scare factor that comes with his name being included in the entries.

Reigning Cheltenham Festival top jockey Paul Townend will become the winningest pilot in Gold Cup history if Galopin Des Champs gets over the line in front this year, which would leave the horse level with Best Mate, Golden Miller, Cottage Rake and Arkle on three wins in the race.

WATCH: Galopin Des Champs wins second Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2024

King George hero Banbridge looks main danger to GDC with dry forecast on the horizon

King George VI Chase winner Banbridge‘s chances are dependent on the word ‘good’ in the going description at Cheltenham on Gold Cup day, but it looks like he may get his ideal conditions.

The weather forecast appears dry in the build-up to the festival and this Joseph O’Brien-trained nine-year-old is no stranger to winning at Prestbury Park after landing the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle in 2022 – one year after Galopin Des Champs won it in 2021.

Under a superb hold-up ride from Paul Townend on Boxing Day, Banbridge came with a powerful late run to mug Il Est Francais going over the final fence and snatch the £150,000 prize at Kempton Park.

One of the most versatile horses in training, Banbridge has landed Grade 1s at 3 miles, 2½ miles and 2 miles after successes in the Punchestown Champion Chase last April and the Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree in 2023.

O’Brien is adamant there are no stamina doubts for Banbridge, who is yet to be tested at the extra two furlongs demanded by the gruelling Cheltenham Gold Cup trip. It has been 20 years since a horse completed the King George-Gold Cup double in the same season following Kicking King’s feat in 2005.

WATCH: Banbridge arrives late to steal King George VI Chase 2024

Will Fact To File line-up in the Gold Cup or Ryanair Chase?

It remains to be seen whether Galopin Des Champs’ stablemate Fact To File will line-up in the Gold Cup or drop back down in trip to 2½ miles and contest the Ryanair Chase on the Thursday of the festival.

Last season’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner got the better of Galopin Des Champs in their first meeting in the John Durkan Chase but he’s been firmly put in his place on the last two occasions and the chances of him improving for an extra two furlongs look slim at best.

The JP McManus-owned eight-year-old was settled in nicely by jockey Mark Walsh in the Savills and Irish Gold Cup after running keen in the John Durkan over 2m 3½f but it’s likely Fact To File simply doesn’t have the ability to get the better of Galopin Des Champs over three miles and further, no matter the tactics.

That may force the team at Closutton to drop him into the Ryanair Chase which looks a very winnable race for a horse of his nature, whose best performances have come at intermediate distances.

As an improving horse who skipped hurdling entirely and is in his second season of chasing, there is still plenty to come from Fact To File and the Gold Cup will still be there in 2026 when connections may feel he has a better chance of landing the pot.

WATCH: Fact To File edges Spillane’s Tower to win the John Durkan Chase 2024

Ante-post Grand National favourite Inothewayurthinkin might be supplemented for the Gold Cup

If connections want to drop Fact To File into the Ryanair Chase, that may prompt them to supplement Inothewayurthinkin for the Gold Cup as McManus’ next-best contender.

Currently the 7/1 ante-post market leader for the Grand National this spring, trainer Gavin Cromwell has insisted his horse is not a guaranteed runner in that race and they may look to the Gold Cup instead.

Inothewayurthinkin ran into a solid fourth in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival after finishing fifth in the Savills at Christmas. Considering the current state of the field. He’d certainly be in with a chance to place.

The seven-year-old shot to stardom with an impressive victory over 3m2f in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival last season before following up in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree a month later.

Cromwell has previously spoken about working towards the Gold Cup in 2026, but the opportunity to get some valuable experience under the horse’s belt in a weak field could be too tempting to turn down.

WATCH: Inothewayurthinkin justifies strong favouritism and canters to victory in the Kim Muir 2024

Monty’s Star, Corbetts Cross and L’Homme Presse could round out small 2025 Gold Cup field

Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star finished a respectable second to Fact To File in last year’s Brown Advisory and could run in this race after a solid effort in the Irish Gold Cup last time out.

He finished just behind Inothewayurthinkin in fifth, building on a disappointing defeat to Embassy Gardens in the New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore, but looks to hold a place chance at best.

Last season’s National Hunt Chase hero Corbetts Cross will have no problem getting the Gold Cup trip and this race is also a possibility for him after disappointment in the Ascot Chase last month.

The good ground and strong gallop that day won’t have played to his strengths but he shaped well in the Aintree Bowl in 2024 and looks an intriguing runner if lining up.

2022 Brown Advisory winner L’Homme Presse finished fourth in last year’s Gold Cup and connections are targeting an improved effort in 2025.

He was pulled up early in the Ascot Chase after making a bad mistake at the fourth fence and also struggled to go the gallop but that race shouldn’t have left much of a mark.

Venetia Williams’ ten-year-old put together a good third in the King George behind Il Est Francais and Banbridge before winning the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham’s January meeting earlier this year.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2025 Entries

Note: The final Gold Cup runners will be declared on Wednesday 12th March 2025.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2025 Details

📅 Date: Friday, March 14th 2025
⌚ Time: 4:00pm
🏇 Racecourse: Cheltenham
🔄 Trip: 3m 2½f
💷 Winning Purse: £351,688
📺 TV: ITV / Racing TV

See the full Cheltenham Festival 2025 dates, race times and new running order.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Recent Winners (Last 10 Years)