The Cheltenham Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious and iconic events on the UK horse racing calendar, and it’s fast approaching. It’s also one of the world’s most recognized multi-day horse racing festivals and runs this year from March 12 – 15. A reflection of the Festival’s broad appeal is the introduction of our very own Festival preview evening on Saturday March 9th here at Ludlow Racecourse.

Antepost betting on the Festival is already available on some of today’s most trusted sports betting sites, including as far afield as New Zealand, and many people have been wondering if last year’s winner, Galopin Des Champs, can win again this year. Let’s take a closer look at the latest odds to find out.

Was the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup a convincing win for Galopin Des Champs, and how has his recent form been?

Galopin Des Champs held off the rest of the field and comfortably beat runner-up Bravemansgame by a fair distance at the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

He is comfortable running on soft or yielding ground, which may or may not be a blessing this year at the upcoming 2024 Festival. He has had a few impressive recent results, one of which was the Grade I Savills Chase at Leopardstown in late December, and is currently looking back to form.

His next outing before the Cheltenham Gold Cup is in early February at the Dublin Racing Festival (which he also won last year).

Can Galopin Des Champs win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second year in a row?

The easiest way to ascertain if Galopin Des Champs can win the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup would be to look at the latest odds on some of today’s most trusted betting sites NZ has to offer and then compare those odds with some of the other runners.

Here are the latest average odds for the top five odds-on favourite runners:

1. Galopin Des Champs. Fractional odds: Evens (1/1). American/moneyline odds: +100. Decimal odds: 2.00. IPR (implied probability rate): 50.00%
2. Fastorslow. Fractional odds:4/1. American/moneyline odds: +400. Decimal odds: 5.00. IPR (implied probability rate): 20.00%
3. Gerri Colombe. Fractional odds: 10/1. American/moneyline odds: +1,000. Decimal odds: 11.00. IPR (implied probability rate): 9.10%
4. Shishkin. Fractional odds: 10/1. American/moneyline odds: +1,000. Decimal odds: 11.00. IPR (implied probability rate): 9.10%
5. Gentlemansgame. Fractional odds: 16/1. American/moneyline odds: +1,600. Decimal odds: 17.00. IPR (implied probability rate): 5.90%

In other words, a relatively safe bet would be for the current odds-on favourite, Galopin Des Champs, to win the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup outright, but anything can happen between now and the start of the race, and no bets are guaranteed.

Also, remember to keep a close eye on the odds because they are subject to change (improve or worsen) at any time.

No Gold Cup forecast from this part of the world would be complete however, without mentioning the challenge from Venetia Williams’ yard at Ross-on-Wye. Stable star L’Homme Pressé read the storyline of his comeback from injury perfectly when winning the valuable Fleur de Lys Chase at Lingfield last weekend under Charlie Deutsch. All things being equal, he will be joined by Royal Pagaille, who overcame Bravemansgame at Haydock in November to put himself right in contention.

Which sites have the most competitive odds?

If you’re looking for a fully licensed and regulated website to place a wager on the upcoming Cheltenham Festival or on any other major horse races, one of the most trusted sites you can turn to in 2024 is the official Lord of Odds iGaming review site.

This renowned site has the latest unbiased and honest reviews for ten of today’s best NZ sports betting sites.