Pulse Racing
Gold Cup

Detailed race analysis for the Boodles Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival
* note all data is from 2016 unless otherwise stated.

RACE SUMMARY

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival and the championship contest for staying chasers. It is contested over 3 miles 2 furlongs on the New Course and is one of the most prestigious races in the National Hunt calendar.

First run as a steeplechase in 1924, the modern Cheltenham Gold Cup was established by Frederick Cathcart.

It is a Grade 1 race for horses aged five and older, with a minimum BHA rating of 130. Run on the New Course over 3 miles 2 furlongs, runners face 22 fences.

WINNING PROFILE

AVERAGE AGE

7.7

169

AVERAGE OFFICIAL RATING

AVERAGE CHASE RUNS PRIOR

9.7

PATH TO CHELTENHAM

The following races have produced the most Gold Cup winners since 2016:

(6) Irish Gold Cup (Leopardstown, February)
(4) Savills Chase (Leopardstown, December)
(4) John Durkan Memorial Chase (Punchestown, Nov / Dec)
(2) New Year Chase (Tramore, January)
(2) Kinloch Brae Chase( Thurles, January)

Number of horses that ran in these races and went on to win at Cheltenham that season in brackets.

TRAINER WINS

Chart showing the trainers number of Gold Cup wins

Chart showing strike rate of trainers for Gold Cup

Note: Harrington & Cromwell are 1 win from 2 runners, hence 50%

TRAINER S/R

WINS BY AGE

Chart showing split of Gold Cup winners by age.

PULSE STOPPER

In the last ten years there have been 60 horses aged nine-years-old and older, of which forty-one were nine. They have a record of 0/60.

Forty-seven runners rated 163 or lower have contested the Gold Cup, representing 36% of all runners. Only one has won, a strike rate of 2.12%

In the last 10 years the winner has had an average of 9.6 runs with the most being 13.

Irish trainers have dominated in recent years, with Colin Tizzard's Native River the only British-trained winner since 2016.

PULSE INSIGHT

Only two German-bred horses have run in the Gold Cup, Don Cossack and Gaelic Warrior, both of whom won.

French-bred have also had a good record in the Gold Cup at 5/53 (S/R 9.4%). However when you combine French-bred and German-bred with a rating of 172+ it's 6/14, a strike rate of 42.9%.

The overall Mullins record is strong, but the higher rated runners are where the stand-out strike rate appears. Mullins has won five from the last eleven renewals from twenty-six runners (S/R 19.2%). Taking the higher rated angle at 172+ he is 4/7 (S/R 57.1%) with two runners up and a third.

The Gold Cup appears to favour relative
freshness. Winners have averaged 7.7 years of age and around 10 previous chase runs, compared with 8.6 years and 12 runs for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Although repeat winners such as Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs demonstrate that experience can be an advantage, both had only 10 and 11 previous chase runs respectively when completing their second Gold victories.

Winning Grade 1 form has been an essential part of the winners make up, with an average of almost 3 Grade 1 wins prior to the Gold Cup.

Four of the last six winners did not win their final prep race, the last two finishing 2nd at the Irish Gold Cup.

PULSE EDGE

PULSE SUMMARY

Irish Dominance, Age & Experience

Irish-trained horses have dominated the Gold Cup in recent years, winning ten of the last eleven renewals. The four most recent winners had their final prep in the Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival, the last of which finished second.

Age is another striking trend, with 9-year-olds and older being 0/60 in the last ten years.

Gold Cup winners have averaged less than 10 previous chase runs and note that no horse with more than 13 chase runs has won in the last 10 years. Grade 1 experience is key with the last 11 winners having won at least one Grade 1 event, average 2.8.

PULSE VERDICT

Pulse Rate

Average Age 7.7 with 10 runs prior to Gold Cup

Pulse Stopper

9-Years-Old and Older 0/60 | 0% (since 2017)

British Trained 1/131 | 0.8%

Pulse Insight

Mullins 5/26 | 19.2% (OR 172+ 4/7 | 57.1%)

Pulse Edge

OR 172+ and French-bred or German-bred 6/14 | 42.9%

< Albert Bartlett

Foxhunters >

ALL DATA FROM 2016 UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

LAST UPDATED SEPT 2026

Pulse Racing Gold Cup

Detailed race analysis for the Boodles Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival * note all data is from 2016 unless otherwise stated.