The Coral Cup

The Coral Cup is a Grade 3 Hurdle race for four year olds and older over 2 miles 5 Furlongs.

It is run on the old course at Cheltenham and horses have to jump 10 hurdles.

This event was established in 1993 and is a popular handicap which can be a good money spinner for backers who are well informed and have a nice priced selection. The last 2 winners of this event were 14/1 but not unfancied – this shows you how competitive the race can be.

In 2008 the race was run over the New Course due to very strong winds. The winner of that race, Naiad Du Misselot, won the Coral cup over 2 mile 4 furlongs (1 furlong shorter than the official Coral Cup distance) if you are ever asked in a pub quiz!

The last 5 winners do not show strong stats for age or weight in this event so it is best not to discount any potential winner by using those guides. A horse can be plotted up to win this handicap so it’s worth keeping an eye on the market 1 day before the race and then again on the morning of it to see any market movers.

The last 5 year results

Backing a horse around the average price of 12/1 can hold up well for backers.

This race is even a good event to split bets on 2 or maybe 3 horses to win for you at the odds of 12/1 or bigger.

Ante-post market leaders have a poor record and are not selections to go piling into.
Some stats we can use to find the winner in this event;

Although not a major factor I would look to horses below 11st – it is a rule that I like to follow in all handicaps at Cheltenham and pays handsome dividends.

If over 11st, the horse must have had a win in the last 3 runs for me to consider backing it.

Six of the last 8 winners had won last time out, while last year’s winner had won previously at Cheltenham.

No winner of this race has been rated over 147.

Look for fresh horses coming into the race and do not discount horses back after a break. In fact, look out for them as potential improvers that are laid out for it.

So ideally we should be looking at a winner last time out, fresh and under 11st, who is rated below 147.

Check back soon for our best bet in this race.