Britain's Gold Cup Hopefuls
It is now five years since Native River gave Britain their last Cheltenham Gold Cup win. Irish trainers, horses, and jockeys have dominated the biggest race in jump racing in recent years, with seven of the last ten renewals going the way of the visitors.
The Irish stranglehold on the Cheltenham Festival highlight is likely to continue in 2023, with five of the top six in the betting market belonging to Ireland's top trainers.
Britain's 2023 Hopefuls
"Horses Racing" (CC BY 2.0) by Paolo Camera
Bravemansgame
If Britain are to finally get back to winning ways in the Gold Cup in 2023, it is likely that Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls will play a big part. Nicholls has expertly overseen the rise of his exciting chaser, Bravemansgame, and he is available at odds of 6/1 if you are betting on Cheltenham races with Paddy Power.
The only horse ahead of Bravemansgame in the Gold Cup betting odds 2023 is one of the Irish bankers, Galopin Des Champs, at 6/4. Willie Mullins's star is going to prove very hard to beat, but Bravemansgame has done little wrong this season, and his trainer has been very bullish about his chances.
With four Gold Cups to his name, Nicholls knows what it takes to get a horse ready to compete in this race, and if the four-time winning trainer expects a big run from Bravemansgame, it might be wise to sit up and listen.
Protektorat
The Sir Alex Ferguson-owned Protektorat will be looking to give Dan Skelton his first taste of Gold Cup glory in 2023. Paul Nicholls' former assistant trainer has been enjoying incredible success over the past few years, and Protektorat has been one of the leading lights of his yard as covered by the Daily Record.
Finishing third in last season's renewal of this race, Protektorat seems to love the Cheltenham track, and although he will have to bounce back from a poor effort last time, he is no forlorn hope.
Ahoy Senior
The pride of Scotland, the Lucinda Russell-trained, Ahoy Senior, is another horse that has the credentials to perform admirably in 2023. Although he has been well beaten by Bravemansgame on two occasions this season, he was much better when returning to the Cheltenham track last time.
He is a longshot to give his nation victory this year, but his love for Cheltenham could see him outrace his lofty odds.
Sounds Russian
An even longer shot for the Brits is Ruth Jefferson's Sounds Russian. He has plenty to find with his rivals in a race of this nature, and it is likely that he will end up being outclassed. His connections cannot be blamed for running him, however, and you never know what could happen in jump racing.
Can Ireland Be Stopped?
"Im The Decider ~ Riden By A P McCoy" (CC BY 2.0) by Paolo Camera
In a word, doubtful. Galopin Des Champs is a special horse, as covered in The Guardian's Irish Gold Cup report, and is likely to win, but even if he fails to fire, last year's winner A Plus Tard and Grand National winner Noble Yeats are the most likely to pick up the pieces.
Bravemansgame is Britain's best chance of stopping the Irish dominance, but will he be good enough to beat a field of this quality? That remains to be seen.
