Gold Cup Antepost Betting Guide

With less than two months to go, the protagonists for the Gold Cup are well established. We look at the antepost market to see where the value lies.

Long Run
Odds: 5/2 (William Hill)
YouTube: King George VI
Broadly speaking he is the same price for the Gold Cup as he started the season despite suffering consecutive defeats to Kauto Star. The good news is he is starting to get closer to Kauto, finishing 1.25 lengths down at Kempton.  The gap could narrow further at the Festival as Cheltenham’s hill should suit the horse’s extra stamina. The problem is his price. Last year he started the Gold Cup at 7/2, arriving on the back of a brilliant King George triumph and facing a below par Kauto Star. This year hasn’t gone nearly so well yet he is shorter in the betting.
Verdict at the current odds: Oppose

Kauto Star
Odds: 4/1 (Betfred)
YouTube: Betfair Chase
This will be remembered as the season Kauto Star firmly established himself as one of the all-time greats. He proved victory in the Betfair Chase was no fluke, with a faultless display of jumping to land the King George. Clearly below par last season, he is the leading contender on current form. The betting public are starting to be won round too. He was 6/1 for his Haydock win and 3/1 at Kempton. Having beaten the majority of his rivals already this season you’d fancy he has to start no bigger than 3/1 for the Gold Cup.
Verdict at the current odds: Back

Grands Crus
Odds: 9/1 (Coral)
YouTube: Feltham Novices’ Chase
Kauto Star is an all-time great, Long Run is the defending champion yet we find a novice chaser third in the Gold Cup betting. He must either be something remarkable or the betting is wrong. As often is the case, the reality is somewhere in-between.  He won the Feltham in fine style on Boxing Day and hasn’t done anything wrong in his chasing career. He may well become a champion but March surely comes too soon.
Verdict at the current odds: Oppose

Synchronised
Odds: 12/1 (Ladbrokes)
YouTube: Lexus Chase
It shows the paucity of depth to the race that a handicapper (albeit it a very good one) is fourth in the betting. Synchronised quashed the main Irish hopes for the race, when defeating the likes of Rubi Light and Quito De La Roque in the Lexus Chase. The Grand National looks the likely target and he can follow in the footsteps of Hedgehunter by placing in the Gold Cup before running a big race at Aintree.
Verdict at the current odds: About right for a horse with place prospects.

Captain Chris
Odds: 16/1 (Victor Chandler)
YouTube: Haldon Gold Cup
His record at Cheltenham is 121 and he looked slightly unlucky at Kempton when short for room in the King George before staying on in eye-catching fashion. I can therefore understand those who backed him at 33/1 and 25/1 immediately after Boxing Day. That value is long gone and his price is a fair reflection of his chances.
Verdict at the current odds: Any value is now long gone.

Time For Rupert
Odds: 20/1 (Betfred)
YouTube: Charlie Hall Chase
With The Argento Chase at Cheltenham pencilled in his diary for the 28th January, Time For Rupert is one of the few contenders we will get to see again before March. That means there is still a race that can significantly alter his odds. I must confess I always thought the horse was overrated as he had never clocked a genuine Grade One time on my speed ratings. I now think he is capable of a big performance but he needs soft conditions.

Quick ground and a searing early pace can take him off his feet but if the ground at Cheltenham comes up soft then he would have an excellent each-way chance. He has won all three chasing starts on ground rated good to soft or softer but lost the three times he has raced on better ground. It must be noted that although the official going description at Haydock was ‘good to soft’, it was at least ‘good’ seeing as Kauto Star broke the course record.

Time For Rupert has a fantastic record at Cheltenham which reads: 122115 with that fifth placed finish excusable when he broke a blood vessel. It is a risk backing a soft ground horse two months in advance of the festival but he might be worth a small interest especially if he romps home in the Argento Chase at the end of the month.
Verdict at the current odds: Back. The best value at the current prices.