2026 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle Betting Tips
Langer Dan was unusually successful in consecutive years in the previous two renewals and we can expecting the betting to be wide open for the two mile, five furlong encounter. There are some early market leaders including Staffordshire Knot who could go well for trainer Gordon Elliott. The eight-year-old has claimed recent wins at Punchestown and Clonmel.
The horse obliged over three miles on heavy ground and it was a victory by over five lengths. He was then sent off as the short-priced favourite in early December where the 8/13 favourite was also able to deal with testing conditions.
Zillow is another one for the shortlist and the Willie Mullins-trained charge has enjoyed a spate of victories this season. There was an early September success at Kilbeggan and that came before an all-weather victory at Dundalk. Possibly the most impressive win of the lot came at the end of November when there was a two-mile success at Fairyhouse.
The 7/2 joint-favourite was able to score on yielding to soft ground, with Nurse Susan another contender who has caught the eye ahead of the Festival. The latest effort to date was achieved in mid-December where the runner produced the goods over two miles, four and a half furlongs.
French Ship and Bunting are available at a similar price, with the former having looked in really good nick when landing the spoils at Newbury at the end of November. That came after an October success at Cheltenham, with the horse scoring by nearly four lengths over two miles and four furlongs.
2025 Coral Cup Tips
There are a few pointers which you need to take on board when betting on the 2025 Coral Cup. It’s worth looking for horses that have run at Cheltenham before considering that the majority of recent winners have made an appearance at Prestbury Park, with many previous winners having been the age of seven.
It's also worth looking beyond the favourites, although there’s a reason why James’s Gate has been installed at the head of the betting market. Martin Brassil trains a runner who was able to score at Navan in January, with this coming after a success at Punchestown in December when fending off eighteen other rivals to claim the spoils.
If Gala Marceau is entered into this race, then it could be worth considering this runner. After all, the previous appearance saw the horse finish second behind Lossiemouth at Punchestown in early May, with this coming after the mare ran relatively well in last year’s Cheltenham Festival and it might help that the horse has ran at this course before.
At the end of November, Impose Toi was able to succeed at Newbury when landing a victory over two miles, four and a half furlongs. This came after a long lay-off although the horse has been able to succeed on a regular basis and there was a credible third-placed finish out of twenty-four horses at Kempton Park in January 2024.
2024 Coral Cup Tips
Langer Dan won last season’s Coral Cup and that’s probably why the same horse has been installed as the favourite to win the 2024 renewal. Not that this season’s form has been spectacular, with the runner finishing sixth out of seven at Kempton in November before being pulled up at Sandown Park in December.
However, a facile win at Leopardstown has set the horse up nicely for another tilt at a race which is notoriously trappy from a betting point-of-view. Impose Toi was second last time out and that was by the slimmest of margins when finishing runner-up to Luccia, with the encounter taking place at Ascot Racecourse over the festive period.
The Nicky Henderson-trained runner was beaten by just a neck on that occasion, with the horse previously winning at Cheltenham in November when obliging as the 2/1 favourite over two miles, half a furlong. Springwell Bay is a talented seven-year-old who was able to finish fourth last time out in a ten-runner race.
It was a solid enough performance from a horse who obliged as the favourite in the Paddy Power Intermediate Handicap Hurdle back in November, with the horse producing the goods as the 85/40 favourite over two miles and five furlongs. The other runner of note is Harvard Guy who has won both of his previous outings at Navan.
2023 Coral Cup Betting Tips
The Coral Cup is always a great race for each-way betting considering that there are a large number of runners and many of them are trading at a backable price. After the excitement of the first two races on Day 2 of the Cheltenham Festival, it’s always great to be wagering on some big prices and you will find several bookmakers will offer extra places.
Therefore, you should compare the racing odds and also the each-way terms when placing a bet. Brandy Love is one of the favourites for this race although the horse’s reputation is not so high following a third-placed finish in the Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown, with Queens Brook and Anna Bunina able to beat the fancied mare.
HMS Seahorse is an interesting runner from a smaller stable, with the five-year-old running for trainer Paul Nolan and we saw a bright performance last time out when the horse obliged with a victory at Navan. The Navan Handicap Hurdle saw the runner oblige at 15/2 and there could be more to come from a young horse who might cheat the handicapper.
Haut En Couleurs has yet to win this season although that doesn’t mean we should discount the Willie Mullins-trained charge considering that the horse has been running in esteemed company. There was a second-placed finish in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park over two miles and four furlongs, with the horse previously falling at Thurles.
2022 Coral Cup Tips
William Henry, Dame De Compagnie and Heaven Help Us are among the recent winners of the Coral Cup, with lots of big priced winners meaning that punters should often look beyond the short priced horses when selecting the runners that might win this Cheltenham handicap race.
Good Time Jonny is a horse that demands respect and the seven-year-old has recently recorded a double at Leopardstown Racecourse, with the horse winning the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle at the end of December before kicking on to the Paddy Power "I'd Love A Can But Pints Are Cheaper" Handicap Hurdle and claiming another victory here.
The horse has been less convincing when it comes to Cheltenham Racecourse, with the horse finishing midfield in the 2020 Champion Bumper and he recently returned to Prestbury Park and finished sixth in an Intermediate Handicap Hurdle when being sent off at betting odds of 100/30.
Unexpected Party Could Provide Cause for Celebration in Coral Cup
Dan Skelton is often the master of Cheltenham handicap betting races and perhaps he could land a winner in the form of Unexpected Party. The seven-year-old was sent off as the 3/1 favourite in the SBK Holloway's Handicap Hurdle on 22 January 2022, with the horse travelling really well over two miles and three furlongs.
The horse also ran in the same race at Cheltenham as Good Time Jonny and finished second behind Gowel Road, although the horse has been in the frame over the past four renewals and perhaps represents a great Cheltenham each-way betting tip.
Winter Fog is trading as the Cheltenham Festival betting favourite with some Cheltenham betting sites and this is an interesting runner who is trained by Emmet Mullins. This could feature when it comes to many Cheltenham tips, with the eight-year-old finishing second in a Christmas race at Punchestown and that was in a big field.
It was a strong run over three miles on soft ground and the horse’s performance in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle might yet see the horse swerve this race, although Gowel Road is probably the best Cheltenham Festival betting tip of them all.
We are surprised that the horse is trading at big odds even if the horse flopped at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival, with the runner making no impact at the McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle. The more recent win at Cheltenham means we should look at an each-way bet on this runner.
Many bookmakers will offer extra places for a horse race like the Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle considering that it’s an open encounter that takes place over two miles and five furlongs.
It’s a stern test of stamina for horses from four years old and upwards, with Olympian running the first ever Coral Cup in 1993 and William Henry was the latest to claim the spoils in 2019.
The nine-year-old won for trainer Nicky Henderson a year after Bleu Berry and it’s not uncommon for a horse to win at big odds in this race, while you always get runners at a big price that finish in the frame.
Stratum is a horse that can potentially run well in the Coral Cup and trainer Willie Mullins has become synonymous with the Cheltenham Festival, with the charge having recently finished fourth in a race at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve.
Whiskey Sour could also be entered in the race, with this being another Willie Mullins-trained charge with the horse finishing fourth at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and he was impressive in the Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle.
Having been sent off as the 5/1 joint-favourite, the horse performed well and connections will feel confident that the runner can go well this time around.
The Cashel Man is a more experienced runner, with the eight-year-old having run for over several seasons and there was plenty to like about a second-placed finish behind Thyme Hill when being sent off at 5/2.
Previously to this, there was a victory at the end of November when being sent off at 9/1 and trainer Nicky Henderson probably has his best chance of victory with this horse.
Coral Cup FAQ
The Coral Cup takes place on Wednesday 12 March, with this being the first handicap race on Day Two of the Cheltenham Festival. Sponsored by bookmaker Coral, the race is scheduled to go off at 2.40pm and generally features a big field of runners competing in a bid to land a victory.
There is generally no big favourite when it comes to the Coral Cup. The early Cheltenham betting odds will feature a number of horses near the head of the market, with Built By Ballymore, Be Aware and Fiercely Proud amongst the horses who can potentially win the race.
This is one of the most difficult Cheltenham Festival races in terms of finding a winner. We would advise readers to create a shortlist of horses that they think can potentially triumph and then narrow this down based on form and the weight that they are carrying.
It’s hardly a surprise that favourites don’t tend to win the Coral Cup. The favourite is generally trading at a bigger price than other market leaders, with customers advised to look for big-priced alternatives. It will certainly be the case that they will be in the frame.
The previous two Coral Cups have been won by Langer Dan. The Dan Skelton-trained charge obliged in 2023 as a six-year-old and then followed it up with a success twelve months later when carrying eight pounds more. Heaven Help Us and Commander Of Fleet are also recent winners.
We strongly recommend considering an each-way bet on the Coral Cup. After all, there’s the chance to land a return if your selection finishes in the places. This is a race where customers can often find five, six or even seven places when it comes to this Cheltenham Festival race.
The Coral Cup can be watched through your online betting account. Log into your account, place a bet on the race and you should be able to utilise the Bet and Watch service. There is quality streaming along with audio commentary of the race in question.
We would have a good look through the racecard and take each horse into account. Look at the horses who won on their previous outing and the way in which the handicapper has allocated the weight. Also look for price movements to see which horse to back.