Confirmed runners and riders for the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30) favourite Galopin Des Champs will face 12 rivals in Friday's festival showpiece.

Galopin Des Champs suffered his sole defeat over fences when falling at the final fence when clear in last year's Turners Novices' Chase at the festival.

He won the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on his return in December before landing the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February.

Paul Townend's mount is one of two runners for Willie Mullins, with National Hunt Chase winner Stattler another intriguing contender.

A Plus Tard and Rachael Blackmore: winners of the 2022 Cheltenham Gold CupCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Last year's winner A Plus Tard returns with a point to prove having been pulled up on his sole start this season in the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

Rachael Blackmore maintains the partnership, while Mark Walsh rides stablemate and the 2021 winner Minella Indo for the first time.

Grand National hero Noble Yeats is a leading player for Emmet Mullins and Sean Bowen. Savills Chase scorer Conflated and Galway Plate winner Hewick complete a strong Irish challenge.

Bravemansgame: won the King George VI Chase in DecemberCredit: Edward Whitaker

King George winner Bravemansgame heads the British contingent with his trainer Paul Nicholls bidding to win the big race for a fifth time.

Protektorat finished third in last year's race and represents Dan and Harry Skelton. He was fourth in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham last time. The winner of that race, Ahoy Senor, and runner-up Sounds Russian have both been declared for Friday's £625,000 event.

The Venetia Williams-trained Royale Pagaille and Joe Tizzard-trained Eldorado Allen complete the 13-runner field.

Cheltenham Gold Cup runners and riders

Ahoy Senor Derek Fox
A Plus Tard Rachael Blackmore
Bravemansgame Harry Cobden
Conflated Davy Russell
Eldorado Allen Brendan Powell
Galopin Des Champs Paul Townend
Hewick Jordan Gainford
Minella Indo Mark Walsh
Noble Yeats Sean Bowen
Protektorat Harry Skelton
Royale Pagaille Charlie Deutsch
Sounds Russian Sean Quinlan
Stattler Patrick Mullins

Gold Cup verdict and 1-2-3 prediction

By Tom Park

1 Galopin Des Champs
2 Ahoy Senor
3 Bravemansgame

You can pick holes in Galopin Des Champs' form, but he has beaten his opposition so easily and I've come to the conclusion I'd rather be with him than against. I'm hoping the bookies take him on as if he drifts out to around 5-2 (the price I think he should be in such a deep Gold Cup) then I will have a bet, but if he doesn't I'll be happy to let him win at a short price. Ahoy Senor tempts me each-way. He's talented on his day and Lucinda Russell is in terriific form.

Galopin Des Champs15:30 Cheltenham

View Racecard

Jky: Paul Townend Tnr: W P Mullins

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30 Cheltenham, Friday, March 17)

Sky Bet: 13-8 Galopin Des Champs, 7-2 A Plus Tard, 13-2 Bravemansgame, 10 Noble Yeats, Stattler, 12 Minella Indo, 14 Conflated, 16 Protektorat, 20 bar

2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup: best betting offers

• bet365 have a new customer offer available if you sign up for Cheltenham. Sign up here.
• Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers, and all you need is an account. Sign up for Cheltenham here.
• Sky Bet are offering new customers free bets for Cheltenham when they sign up. You can get them, along with money-back specials and extra places, here.
• Betfair have lots of offers, extra places and money-back offers for Cheltenham. Sign up for a new account here.
• New William Hill customers can claim free bets for Cheltenham here and benefit from their money-back offers here.
• To get a free bet from Ladbrokes for Chetlenham, simply sign up to a new account here.
• Sign up for a new Coral account ready for Cheltenham. They have an offer for new customers here.
• If you're a new customer, Tote will give you a free bet for Cheltenham. Sign up here to claim.
• Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.

Who else is running at Cheltenham on Friday?

Willie Mullins is responsible for almost half of the 15-runner field in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.30).

Blood Destiny, Lossiemouth and Gala Marceau are among seven runners for the Closutton trainer in the opening Grade 1 on the final day. Just three of the runners are trained in Britain with Scriptwriter missing the race.

His trainer Milton Harris said: "Unfortunately Scriptwriter scoped badly on Wednesday morning and misses the Triumph. It helps to explain his poor run at Kempton last time. He'll go straight to Aintree next month for the Grade 1 Juvenile Hurdle."

Corbetts Cross, a recent purchase for JP McManus, has been declared for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle (2.50). He faces 19 rivals, including Stay Away Fay, Three Card Brag and Embassy Gardens, in a wide-open race.

Allegorie De Vassy will clash with Impervious in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (4.50), while Vaucelet, Famous Clermont and Billaway are among a full field for the Hunters' Chase (4.10).

Filey Bay features in a full field for the McCoy Contractors County Hurdle (2.10), with the weights headed by dual Champion Hurdle second Sharjah. Spanish Harlem, Cool Survivor, Imagine and Iroko are among the market principals declared for the concluding Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (5.30).

Cheltenham Gold Cup: William Hill offer

150-1 A Plus Tard or Noble Yeats to win the Gold Cup with William Hill. 18+. Play safe. New customers using EP150APT or EP150NYS. Applies to bets placed from 9:00 on 7 March 2023 until 15:30 on 17 March 2023. £1 must be staked on A Plus Tard to win at 150-1 or Noble Yeats to win at 150-1. Returns paid as 3 x £50 or 3 x £50 in free bets (30-day expiry). Player and currency restrictions and terms apply.

Read these next:

Big-race tips: why this horse can win the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup 

2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

Who will win the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup based on previous trends? 

LAST CHANCE: introducing our brilliant Cheltenham Festival team - get full access now with 50% off for three months 

Do you want £200+ of free bets for Cheltenham? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.