The Cheltenham Festival is on the horizon, and the Gold Cup appears to already be a foregone conclusion. Dual winner and hat-trick-seeking Galopin Des Champs is the odds-on favourite and will be very hard to beat as he looks to write his name in folklore.
The Cheltenham feature race is the second-most bet on race of the season after the prestigious Grand National. However, with Galopin Des Champs as short as 2/5 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup odds, Willie Mullins’ stable star isn’t exactly an enticing option.
Therefore, each-way bets may well be the value go-to for pundits and punters alike. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at three outsiders who could chase home Galopin Des Champs up the gruelling Cheltenham hill on March 14.
Monty’s Star – 12/1
Monty’s Star has taken on Galopin Des Champs once already this season, finishing over seven lengths behind the two-time Gold Cup in fifth in the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup at the prestigious Dublin Racing Festival last month.
However, dual Gold Cup-winning trainer Henry de Bromhead remains hopeful that his eight-year-old can step it up a notch at Cheltenham, claiming: “I thought he jumped and travelled really well in the Irish Gold Cup before getting a bit tired turning in. If we can get a clear run between now and the Gold Cup, I think he’ll run really well.
“He ran very well in the Brown Advisory last season and has good form with Fact To File and Spillane’s Tower. The extra couple of furlongs should suit him.”
L’Homme Presse – 16/1
Once tipped as a potential Gold Cup contender by those who bet on horse racing due to his performances as a novice chaser—notably winning the Brown Advisory in 2022— L’Homme Presse faced a setback that ruled him out of the 2023 renewal.
The Venetia Williams-trained horse returned after over a year off with a win in the Fleur De Lys last January and was second in the Ascot Chase before finishing fourth in the 2024 Gold Cup—weakening late and losing places approaching the last.
L’Homme Presse showed his class again when winning the Grade 2 Cotswolds Chase at this course in January, but being pulled up in the Ascot Chase last month was not ideal preparation. Charlie Deutsch blamed that on a jumping mistake, and if he could travel more fluently, then he could be in the placings.
Corbetts Cross – 12/1
With Fact To File set to be rerouted to the Ryanair Chase at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, Corbetts Cross stands as JP McManus’ leading hope of winning his first Gold Cup since Synchronised romped home in 2012.
Despite his disappointing showing in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, when he finished sixth and 21 lengths behind the winner Banbridge, Corbetts Cross thrives over these longer distances, and the step back up to three miles and two furlongs should suit.
Trainer Emmett Mullins, the nephew of Willie Mullins, hopes to get Corbetts Cross into shape in time for Cheltenham and is confident that if so, he should place.
“If we can get our horse to peak again in Cheltenham, I’m not saying we’ll beat Galopin Des Champs, but we should be in the placings,” the handler said.
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