Best Bets for Gold Cup Day at the Cheltenham Festival 2024

Gold Cup Day is the fourth and final day at the Cheltenham Festival, and it looks set to be a thrilling finish to the meeting this year. Not only is there a strong renewal of the blue riband event in the sport, but the Triumph Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle could produce future stars of the sport.

Here is a look at the best bets for Gold Cup Day.

Fastorslow To Win Cheltenham Gold Cup – 9/2

Galopin Des Champs heads the betting for this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup as he bids to repeat his success from 2023. The Irish chaser is the evens favourite in the Cheltenham Festival odds for the feature race.

As the horse racing results show, Galopin Des Champs was a comfortable winner in 2023. His task this year is much tougher as he will come up against Fastorslow, a horse who has beaten him twice in the last 12 months.

🔥FASTORSLOW takes down the Mullins battalion 🔥

Fastorslow picks up where he left off last season by staying on strongest in a thrilling edition of the G1 John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Hot favourite Galopin Des Champs is beaten AGAIN!@punchestownrace 🏇 pic.twitter.com/eham04KPcL

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 26, 2023

It has been an excellent year for Fastorslow, as he proved his class in the Punchestown Gold Cup and John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. The stiff test around the Cheltenham Gold Cup course will suit him. It would be no surprise if this race ended up being a dual after the last fence between the leading two Irish chasers, and Martin Brassil’s runner can win that battle.

High Class Hero to Win Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – 6/1

Since moving to Willie Mullins’ yard in February 2022, High Class Hero has been unbeaten in five appearances on the track. He won a bumper at Listowel before switching to hurdles back in August.

The seven-year-old showed he has a lot of ability when he landed at Listed contest at Limerick back in October in a race of 2m5f. He stretched away from his rivals in the closing stages of that race for a seven-length success.

High Class Hero will be stepping in class and distance at the Cheltenham Festival for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. However, Mullins has dozens of talented novices in his yard, so he will have his own pecking order, and based on his entry in the Grade One contest, this horse appears to be at the top end of that list.

Dinoblue To Win Mares’ Chase – Evens

The Mares’ Chase is one of the newest races at the Cheltenham Festival as it was only added to the schedule in 2021. Irish Champion trainer Mullins has won two of the three renewals so far, and he can add to his record with Dinoblue this year.

Dinoblue led home a one-two-three for trainer Willie Mullins and owner JP McManus in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown https://t.co/6z1XbVgZEZ #RTEracing

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 27, 2023

The seven-year-old mare is talented enough to be competing in either the Queen Mother Champion Chase or Ryanair Chase, but connections are opting to take on her own sex. She has won two of her three races this season, with the highlight being her triumph in the Grade One Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown.

Mullins’ runner was second in the Grand Annual at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. This is a much easier assignment and it gives her a great chance of a first win at this meeting.

Enjoy all the action on Gold Cup Day in 2024. Hopefully, it is a thrilling ending to a memorable week at Prestbury Park.