Gold Cup Betting

The Big One!

If you're like most people in this country, you parted company with an interest in horses shortly after you realised they couldn't really speak or fly. Televised racing's attempt to fill the gap, with it's honey-voiced commentators droning on with their mysterious vocabulary, too often felt like an afternoon at the hands of a foreign hypnotist. This week's Cheltenham festival, which starts tomorrow, is an opportunity to reconsider that relationship, with a Gold Cup on Friday that promises the kind of drama Friday afternoons have been criminally lacking for years. Two wonderhorses – the athletic Kauto Star and the powerful Denman – make this the most anticipated race in decades. To take full advantage of the Gold Cup experience without actually attending, you'll need to have a few drinks beforehand – champagne for the better-offs, beer for the riff-raff – and have a sod of fragrant turf handy from which to breathe deeply every so often. Then you just need to get a bet on and shout stuff. If you're not sure what, try "But you promised me you could fly!" Even if you lose, you'll feel a whole lot better.

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Headline trends

» The race is being billed by many as the greatest head to head since Arkle met Mill House in the same race in 1964, and there are some striking similarities. On that occasion Mill House went into the race defending Gold Cup champion and slight favourite, akin to Kauto Star. In that race however Arkle was the stronger finished and went on to win by five lengths.

» Kauto Star has only been beaten once is his last ten starts.

» The only other time Denman ran the same distance as the Gold Cup, he was victorious.

Kauto Star

» Kauto Star has been very convincing in his warm up races, winning the Ascot Chase by eight lengths, and comfortably winning the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

» chickendinner superfact: Winning the King George VI Chase has proved to be a good omen in recent years. Kauto Star won it on Boxing Day 2006 and then went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2007. Kicking King achieved the same feat in 2005 and Best Mate in 2003.

» Only five horses in history have won back-to-back Gold Cups. Most recently, Best Mate won three in a row from 2002-2004. Prior to this, no other horse had won back to back Gold Cups since L’Escargot in 1970 and 1971. The other three horses to have done so are Easter Hero (1929 and 1930), Golden Miller (1932-1936) and Cottage Rake (1948-1950).

» His career stats are impressive – he has run twenty-five races, and won fifteen, with five second places, and two third places. The major races he has won are the Cheltenham Gold Cup, King George VI Chase (twice), Betfair Chase (twice) and Tingle Creek.

» chickendinner superfact: Kauto Star will run the race as a seven year old, just days before his eighth birthday. The last three winners of the Gold Cup have all been seven year olds.

» Going into last year’s Gold Cup some punters were unconvinced, not believing Kauto Star had the jumping ability to win. However he put in a flawless jumping performance and beat rival Exotic Dancer by two and a half lengths.

» Kauto Star’s form going into the race is impressive and makes it clear just why he is favourite. He has won his last three races, and come first in nine of his last ten, with the other being a second place finish.

» Jockey Ruby Walsh has had a decent record when riding Kauto Star, winning nine of the thirteen races in which he has been the jockey, with three second places, and one race where Kauto Star fell.

» Kauto Star’s favoured going has been good to soft, winning five and coming second in his six races on good to soft going. When the going is good he has been less convincing, winning just two of the five races on good going courses.

Denman

» Denman has also been performing well in his warm up races, winning the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham in March 2007, and sauntered to comfortable successes this season in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and Lexus Chase. Best Mate won the Lexus Chase in 2003 before going on to win the Gold Cup.

» Denman impressed everyone with his victory in the Aon Chase at Newbury in February, with his performance being described as sensational. This may prove a good omen for Denman, as Kauto Star won the Aon Chase last year before going on to win the Gold Cup.

» Denman is unbeaten in eight chases, and has a career record of thirteen races run, with twelve wins and one second place finish. His major races won are Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, Lexus Chase, Aon Chase and Royal and SunAlliance chase.

» Denman has run four races at Cheltenham before and has a good record, recording three wins and one second placed finish from his four races.

» The only going on which Denman has been beaten has been good.

» chickendinner superfact: Jockey Sam Thomas has run three races on Denman, and won every single race.

07/03/08

March 14, 3.15pm, best odds