By HRI Foreign Staff — For many, the Grand National at Aintree is the pillar of the UK racing calendar – the race that stops a nation, in the same way that the Kentucky Derby does in America and the Melbourne Cup does in Australia.
Whilst there is no denying the sense of occasion that the Grand National holds every year in the Spring, it has a serious contender to the throne that has really developed its global appeal in recent times.
The Cheltenham Festival and the curtain raiser, the Cheltenham Gold Cup are deemed by many within the racing fraternity to be the pinnacle of the National Hunt season and its prominence amongst the racing community remains huge.
Staged on the final day of the 4-day meet, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a true test of both a horse’s staying power and the navigation skills of a jockey, as they look to time their run to perfection.
The list of iconic horses that have enjoyed success at the Cheltenham Gold Cup include Best Mate, Kauto Star and Denman – a real indicator of the pedigree of the race.
Such is the national and international furore that surrounds the Cheltenham Gold Cup, that there has now been a spectator cap implemented by the officials at Cheltenham Racecourse – testament to how much the event has grown in notoriety globally.
Once again in 2023, there is the usual list of top name horses in contention in Gloucestershire and it promises to be another Cheltenham Gold Cup to remember.
Willie Mullins is a trainer with a great track record in this race and Galopin des Champs looks to be one of the very best horses he has had on his hands for years.
The 6-year old looks to be tailor made for running conditions here at the Cheltenham Gold Cup and there has been plenty of ante-post movement behind the French horse.
At +350 with BetMGM, clearly the New York bookmakers feel this race is a done deal and that Galopin des Champs should romp home in 2023.
Top level racing though just is not as simple as that and there will be plenty of horses in contention come Gold Cup day in March.
Venetia Williams is another trainer who enjoys the trip at Cheltenham, and she too has a French offering in L’Homme Presse.
A horse with plenty of a serious amount of pedigree at this level and one that cannot be overlooked at +700.
Elsewhere, defending champion A Plus Tard hasn’t hit the heights of last season under Rachael Blackmore but remains a serious contender in every race.
An ante-post price of +1000 is representative of the struggles A Plus Tard has endured in recent times but it is a great horse that has more than a decent chance here.
