2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the highlight of the Cheltenham Festival and the most prestigious non-handicap national hunt race run in the United Kingdom, ranking alongside the Grand National as one of the horseracing and betting highlights of the year.
Run over 3 miles and 2½ furlongs on Cheltenham Racecourse’s new course, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is open to racehorses aged five and above. Many Cheltenham Gold Cup runners are specially groomed for this huge race, and can go an entire career without running handicap races to nurture the confidence needed to win the cup.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners and History
The first Cheltenham Gold Cup was run on the 12th of March 1924, and was won by Red Splash. Within a decade the Cheltenham Gold Cup had introduced the first of its great champions to the racing world as Golden Miller won five consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup winners titles, and in so doing becoming the only horse in history to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year in 1934.
The other horses that built their legends at the Cheltenham Festival included the great Irish racehorses Cottage Rake and Arkle. Best Mate was the last horse to put in a run of victories, dying in tragic circumstances in 2005 before having the opportunity to challenge for his fourth successive Cheltenham Gold Cup winners title.
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2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup Betting Tips
With a massive media profile and months of media speculation over the possible winners in the lead up the race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup easily lays claim to the biggest betting markets of the Cheltenham Festival. To make the most of your Cheltenham Gold Cup betting opportunities you need to keep a few simple guidelines in mind.
1. Bet on horses older than 6 and younger than 10. Unlike the Grand National the Cheltenham Festival tends to favour younger horses, with horses aged over the age of 9 winning only rarely.
2. Look at the horse’s previous record in the race. Horses that fail to show in one Cheltenham Gold Cup have a poor record of improvement in the following year’s race. A related 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup betting trend shows that a long run of race-winning form prior to the Gold Cup tends to be one of the strongest indicators of a potential winner.
3. Finally, experience over distances of over 3 miles is essential if a horse wishes to make its presence felt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
4. Of all the Cheltenham Gold Cup runners, Kauto Star currently looks to be a clear favourite for the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The strongest competition will most likely come from 2007 runner-up Exotic Dancer, whilst many are also tipping an older and wiser Cornish Rebel as being a Cheltenham Gold Cup runner with realistic prospects of winning the race.
Unlike handicap races, the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup betting markets provide a fairly reliable summary of a horse’s prospects in the race. Although using Cheltenham Gold Cup odds to bet on a winner isn’t necessarily recommended, the odds can more reliably be used for betting on a show or betting both ways.