Cheltenham Gold Cup Tips: Shooting for the stars

It's the most prestigious race of the week. The Holy Grail for steeplechasers. Win a Cheltenham Gold Cup and you're preserved in gold leaf and glory forever.

This year's renewal of the great race is as open as I can recall. We've got some battle-hardened warriors, the reigning champion, plus some would-be pretenders all looking to make it first up that unforgiving hill, after 3m 2.5f and the small matter of 22 fences.

Can't wait ...

Cheltenham Gold Cup odds

The proverbial Blue Riband event in the jumping calendar. If the Grand National is all about romance and sensational spectacle, the Gold Cup reeks of class. The best of the best go toe-to-toe, carrying the same weight, harbouring the same hopes and dreams.

Just look at this little sample of some for whom that dream became magnificent reality - Arkle, Best Mate, Golden Miller, Kauto Star, Mill House, Denman, Cottage Rake, Dawn Run, Desert Orchid - among the best the sport has ever seen. Period.

Betfred had the pleasure of sponsoring the race between 2012 and 2015, and it's place in the great scheme of things is a lofty one.

So to the 2026 renewal; and as stated, there are so many who will fancy their chances of going close or even better on Friday afternoon. The one I've come around to fancying for win purposes, that I've warmed to greatly over the course of the season, is an eight-year-old gelding by a G1 middle distance/staying type of Sir Michael Stoute's (Ask), out of an unraced Flemensfirth mare - namely The Jukebox Man.

The Jukebox Man @ 7/2

The horse is trained close to the track in Naunton, about 12 miles away, by Ben Pauling. It's something of a home match then, which will be appreciated even more by his enthusiastic owner, celebrated former footballer, manager and I'm A Celebrity jungle winner Harry Redknapp.

Two years ago the selection was beaten a head here in the Albert Bartlett. At that point he was rated 136. He was sent chasing in November of that year and won a G2 at Newbury over 2m 4f. He then took the Kauto Star over 3m at Kempton, Christmas 2024, comfortably.

In January however, he was ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.

He reappeared seemingly as good as ever at Haydock in November last, beating Iroko at Haydock, and then came the standout - a thrilling win in Kempton's King George on Boxing Day by the width of a cigarette paper. Hefty career-best territory, and time to dream of this day. He's now rated 168.

Redknapp is a fantastic ambassador for racing, having been involved for most of his life one way or another. Pauling is beyond the status of up-and-coming trainer; he's well and truly arrived. A win here would cement all that and rocket him further up the ladder.

'Jukebox' showed at Kempton that we've probably not yet got to the bottom of him. On that flat speed track he kept finding after the last and just would not be denied, with Banbridge, Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie all sensing victory too.

On a stiffer track, which he'll certainly get here, I think he may be capable of even more at the business end. 'Gaelic' and 'Jango' reoppose. They'll rightly have their supporters. But this might just go to the popular, slightly-built former West Ham winger whose smile, if successful, will be visible from outer space.

Jockey Ben Jones is enjoying a tremendous, break-out season and is impressing many a good judge. He was inspired at Kempton, not for the first time, and is in prime nick right now (eight wins in the last fortnight, at around 24% strike-rate-wise).

We're nearly there now, and it's bound to be compelling. Eleven are scheduled to start, so traffic issues shouldn't be a problem, touch wood. Whatever happens, it's a race this time around that's hugely worthy of the name.

Spillane's Tower each-way @ 12/1

Harry Cobden is soon to take up residence as owner JP McManus' retained jockey on both sides of the Irish Sea. The brilliant Englishman has ridden for Paul Nicholls for about eight years and now partners Spillane's Tower, in the McManus green and gold, for trainer James Joseph Mangan.

The eight-year-old Walk In The Park gelding took a G2 here in January over virtually this trip (bar a furlong), and has various snippets of form that entitle him to a great deal of respect, having rubbed shoulders with the likes of Galopin Des Champs, El Fabiolo and Fact To File in recent campaigns.

He's got a sporting chance and is rated 164 himself. I hope he'll benefit from a bit of the Cobden magic and get mightily competitive, at a decent price.

Cheltenham Tips with Betfred Insights.