Galopin Des Champs Heads 19 Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners For 2025 Renewal

At the latest declaration stage, the Cheltenham Gold Cup runners 2025 see 19 horses still engaged in the big Festival race on Friday 14th March – with the winner from the last two season’s Galopin Des Champs heading the list on hopefuls. 

Galopin Des Champs Hopes To Best Mate On Three Gold Cup Wins

The Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs has made the Cheltenham Gold Cup his own in the last two seasons and connections will be hoping he can make it three as he looks to become the first horse since Best Mate to land the coveted prize three years on the spin.

Providing he has no setbacks heading into the race, Galopin Des Champs will be be one of the 2025 Cheltenham bankers for many over the entire meeting and will be a popular pick to cement his name in the Gold Cup hall-of-fame.

Best Mate, who was trained by Henrietta Knight landed his three Gold Cups between 2002 and 2004, while the horse prior to him to take three on the bounce was the mighty Arkle in the 1960’s.

Galopin Des Champs returned this season with a fair third in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown but went two places better in the Savills Chase at his beloved Leopardstown over Christmas – winning at the track for a sixth time. Watch below.

The Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival in early February might be his next target – another race he landed last season, but many are also suggesting we won’t see Galopin Des Champs now till the Gold Cup in mid-March.

Galopin Des Champs is currently the the best horse racing betting sites in the UK.

If sent off as the market leader, he’ll also be looking to become the fifth winning jolly since 2020.

The 19 Gold Cup entries are also the lowest ever recorded at this stage building up to the race.

Spillane’s Tower NOT Entered In Cheltenham Gold Cup 2025

With the latest Cheltenham Gold Cup runners announced, the notable absentee was the Jimmy Mangan-trained Spillane’s Tower.

The 7 year-old was 5th in the King George VI Chase at Kempton over Christmas, while before that had finished a place ahead of Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase.

Spillane’s Tower does, however, still hold an entry in the Ryanair Chase at the Festival – which will be run on Thursday 13th March.

Only Five UK-Trained Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners (At This Stage)

Of the 19 Cheltenham Gold Cup runners, there are only FIVE trained in the UK.

These are headed by King George third L’Homme Presse and las year’s Turners Novices’ Chase winner Grey Dawning.

Royale Pagaille could run in his fourth Gold Cup if making the final line-up – he still holds an entry too.

While the homegrown entries at this stage are completed by 2023 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner The Real Whacker and Ahoy Senor.

The last UK-trained Cheltenham Gold Cup winner was Native River for Colin Tizzard in 2018 – with Ireland taking ALL of the last six.

Il Est Francais Flying The Gold Cup Flag For

last won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1994 when The Fellow beat hot favourite at the champ going into the race Jodami.

However, they will feel they’ve got a live chance of adding to that with King George runner-up Il Est Francais.

This Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm runner was only chinned in the closing stages at Kempton on Boxing Day, but the worry would be the longer horse racing Gold Cup trip.

Il Est Francais also holds an entry in the Ryanair Chase, which is run over a shorter trip (2m4f) and the Champion Chase (2m).

Cheltenham Gold Cup Runners 2025

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2025 Details

📅Date: Friday 14th March 2025
⌚Time: 4:00pm
🏇Racecourse: Cheltenham
🔄Trip: 3m 2 1/2f
💷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)