2023 December Gold Cup at Cheltenham: the runners, the odds, the verdict
Cheltenham's two-day Christmas meeting takes centre stage this weekend, with the December Gold Cup (1.50) the main attraction on Saturday. In a fiercely competitive handicap chase, who will come out on top this season?
2023 December Gold Cup: the full list of horses for Cheltenham
1 Fakir D'Oudairies
Runner-up in two Grade 1 chases at the Festival here but not seen at this track since 2021 (ran at Aintree in April last two seasons); has run in only Grade 1 and Grade 2 events for the last four years and this is his first ever handicap, with an each-way chance at the weights and trip/ground to suit; he can also go well after a break.
Trainer: Joseph O'Brien
Jockey: Jonjo O'Neill Jr
Forecast odds: 8-1
2 Fugitif
Second in three Cheltenham handicaps last term, including major course-and-distance races in January and March; his mark has crept up as a consequence but he ran creditably when fourth in the Paddy Power here last month considering he appeared to overrace (then weakened late on having challenged strongly) in the first-time cheekpieces, which are now discarded; major player.
Trainer: Richard Hobson
Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
Forecast odds: 8-1
3 Thunder Rock
Strong form in defeat in Graded novice chases last term, including when he nearly caught Monmiral for second off level weights over course and distance on soft on New Year's Day (jumping was not the best though); justified 11-8 favouritism in clear-cut fashion in four-runner Listed event at Carlisle (2m4f, soft; jumped well) six weeks ago and returns to a handicap off what looks a good mark.
Trainer: Olly Murphy
Jockey: Sean Bowen
Forecast odds: 7-2
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4 Monmiral
Ran at Aintree rather than the Cheltenham Festival in the last three seasons but had a good piece of C&D form nevertheless on New Year's Day last term, when he narrowly hung on for second from Thunder Rock at level weights in five-runner Grade 2 novice (soft); heavy defeats in two Grade 1s afterwards, quickly followed by wind surgery; player if straight back on song.
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Jockey: Harry Cobden
Forecast odds: 5-1
5 Il Ridoto
Ran in four of these major Cheltenham 2m4f handicaps last season with form figures of 4416, the win on soft ground in January; had first-time cheekpieces that day and the form has not been repeated in his three starts since, although last month's 12-length third of 14 under 5lb claimer in the Paddy Power here reiterated that he has to be in each-way calculations.
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
Jockey: Bryony Frost
Forecast odds: 6-1
6 So Scottish
While creditable in form terms, his seventh of 23 in the Plate over course and distance (soft) in March did not live up to his market billing or the promise of his previous run; jumped moderately next time and soundly beaten on reappearance, with heavy ground an excuse in the latter but he is also now tongue tied for the first time; still only a six-year-old, so could still fulfil last autumn's promise at some point.
Trainer: Emmet Mullins
Jockey: Mark Walsh
Forecast odds: 6-1
7 Jay Jay Reilly
The only one who lacks any Cheltenham experience; second-season chaser, seen more often over shorter, and although he stayed on for fifth over 2m6f at Newbury two weeks ago, which was creditable in form terms, it showed clearly that improvement is needed and that he's still capable of jumping errors; well beaten in his only jumps race on soft.
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Jockey: Harry Skelton
Forecast odds: 25-1
8 Do Your Job
Acts on soft; has had four wind operations all told, the latest in August, and there's been no revival in his two starts since (faded late on; dropped back to 2m here latest); his best efforts were two seasons back but at least his handicap mark is now 10lb lower than its peak.
Trainer: Lucinda Russell
Jockey: Derek Fox
Forecast odds: 25-1
9 Grandeur D'Ame
Sole run here was in a bumper (runner-up); something of a bumpy road since he was sent over fences last term but he's now won three of his seven chases and left his five rivals 25 lengths and more behind in a handicap at Wetherby (2m3f, heavy) four weeks ago, impressing with his jumping once he went on at the fifth; 11lb higher today (3lb out of the handicap) in a much better race but has to be considered given the extreme ease of that win.
Trainer: Alan King
Jockey: Tom Bellamy
Forecast odds: 16-1
10 Frero Banbou
His third from way off the pace in 2m Grand Annual here (heavy) in March 2022 is still not forgotten and although his first attempt at this sort of trip was a failure in the Plate this March, he's been placed this term over 2m5f (big Aintree fences) and 2m4f (Newbury); 3lb out of the handicap.
Trainer: Venetia Williams
Jockey: Charlie Deutsch
Forecast odds: 10-1
11 Torn And Frayed
Won a hurdle race on soft; scored by six lengths in major handicap here (C&D, good) in January 2022 when opening his chase account at the fifth attempt; not seen since until last month's Paddy Power here, where he was 20-1 and chased leaders long way but was held in sixth when falling two out; showed enough to be of interest today but is 3lb out of the handicap.
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies
Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
Forecast odds: 16-1
11 Railway Hurricane
No ground worries; just one win from his 25 chase starts but that came in July and he's been placed in his three races this autumn; the last two were over 2m4f at this track but this is a much better race and he's 7lb out of the handicap, so faces a stiff task.
Trainer: Gavin Cromwell
Jockey: Conor Stone-Walsh
Forecast odds: 20-1
Verdict: our top December Gold Cup betting tip
By Richard Austen
Unless there is another market move for So Scottish, it looks as if the betting will be headed by Thunder Rock and Monmiral who came third and second, separated by a head, in a Grade 2 novice chase over course and distance on New Year's Day.
While Thunder Rock caught the eye with his strong finish (and has made a fluent winning reappearance this term) he did not impress with his jumping that day, which is a nagging worry, and slight preference this time is for Monmiral, who got himself into a far more challenging position before running out of steam.
It is not hard to think that the wind operation he had in April will help the Nicholls runner. However, he is second choice behind FUGITIF, who could finally have his day in the sun in one of these Cheltenham handicaps now that the headgear has been put away again. Completing the shortlist is Grandeur D'Ame, so well did he win at Wetherby, and the class act Fakir D'Oudairies.
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