Coral Cup Tips

At the Cheltenham Festival, there are many different categories of races, and some of the most popular are those which fall into the handicap category, which means horses will run at different weights.

These types of Cheltenham Festival races provide bettors with the chance to follow the bigger-priced horses, and one race that stands out on the festival's second day is The Coral Cup.

Coral Cup Betting Odds

A hard-fought race where many of the biggest surprises of the week are thrown up, The Coral Cup is famous for providing winners with odds of 20/1 or above. However, if you're unsure of which horse to pick as your winner of the Coral Cup handicap hurdle, following betting tips which have already picked out the key stats and trends, could help you browse the ante post and starting price markets.

2.50 - Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (2m5f)

A typically tricky running and the suggestion at a big price is GUARD YOUR DREAMS, who finished seventh in this as a five-year-old and seemed to find two miles inadequate in a couple of Grade 2 hurdles this season on his return from a long absence.

He is back on a tempting mark of 137. The handicapper admitted to finding Sa Majeste a tricky horse to assess and he could be anything, so is of obvious interest.

Doddiethegreat merits a second look on this step up in trip with his Betfair Hurdle fourth at Newbury working out well, albeit the form of Nicky Henderson's stable is a slight concern.

Selection: Guard Your Dreams

Understanding The Coral Cup

Ran on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, which is also called Ladies Day, the Coral Cup is a national hunt handicap hurdle race which will is open to horses aged four years and older. Classed as a Grade 3 race, it's the third race on the card and is contested on the old course. The race will take in ten hurdles across a distance of 2 miles 5 furlongs in which a max of 26 horses are expected to take part.

Established in 1993, the Coral Cup is so-called due to a sponsorship deal for the race's entire history. A premier handicap originally just named as a handicap hurdle, it was upgraded to Grade 3 status in 1999, which offers even more prestige to the race.

Partnered with Imperial Cup, which takes place at Sandown a week earlier, any horse which goes on to win The Coral Cup will be given a bonus. However, this is a feat which has only been completed once in the past 29 renewals of the race.

Top Coral Cup Betting Tips

One of the things many punters will notice when browsing our Coral Cup tips for the Cheltenham Festival is that it offers punters the chance to have a bigger gamble on an each-way horse. In the last ten renewals of the race, a big-priced winner of the Coral Cup can be highlighted, so these are always worth taking a look at in the market.

Before making your selection on a horse, it’s important to check out their most recent form. Many horses will have picked up wins or each-way placings heading into the race, and these will be your first starting point in terms of horses in strong form.

A key Coral Cup contender who stands out in the betting is Harry Fry-trained Might I, who finished second on this course back in January and will only need to increase the distance slightly in this race to have a winning chance.

Another thing which can affect the performance record of a horse is weight, and a lower weight could be optimal if the going conditions are not to the horses liking or if they’re not suited to the distance of the race.

If you prefer to select a horse for their carrying weight, one runner which stands out with strong form is Irish Hill. With two recent wins, including a handicap hurdle at Ascot, he’s expected to carry 10st 5lb, and should be extra value in the betting markets.

Top Coral Cup Trainer and Jockeys

When it comes to the winning trainers of the Coral Cup, the spoils are split almost evenly between Great Britain, with ten wins and Ireland, with nine. The remaining victory in the last twenty renewals goes to France.

Across those victories, the leading trainer in the Coral Cup is Nicky Henderson, who has managed to land four winners, one of those being with outside chance William Henry. His record makes him a strong chance in our Coral Cup tips, with his runner Theatre Glory heading to this race in good form.

As the stats show, Irish trainers should also be on your radar for the Coral Cup, with Gordon Elliott taking three wins in the race, the most recent with a 50/1 chance of Commander Of Fleet. The Irish runners have also featured some successful jockeys, six of the last seven races have been won by Irish jockeys, and the most successful jockey in the race is Davy Russell.

How To Bet on The Coral Cup

After browsing our selection odds for the Coral Cup, you may be reading to place your bets on the race. However, the starting price of a horse will change as the race approaches, so this should always be taken into account as you place look to place your bet. Before you place your bets in our Coral Cup market, we’ve listed the betting types, so you’ll be informed whether you’re betting in the ante post market or just before the race.

Type of Bet

Win Bet

This bet is available on all our Coral Cup tips, and your bet will only win if they pass the post first. Our winning selection for this Irish Hill who is currently odds of 16/1 in the betting market.

Each Way Bet

The each-way betting market for the feature races at the Cheltenham Festival allows you to bet on which horse you feel may finish either first or the runner-up positions.. It’s these bets which offer punters the chance to choose larger-priced odds. Following the betting trends, a strong chance is Mill Green, who is trained by Nicky Henderson.

Strategies for betting on the Coral Cup

Assessing The Form Of A Horse

Before placing any bets, our Coral Cup tips will identify how the horses with the best form. These will be identified by the numbers listed on the right of the race card. Horses who have managed to land a win or place in their most recent wins will be higher in the betting odds.

Setting a budget

When betting on horse racing and following our Coral Cup tips, one of the most important strategies to follow is a betting budget. Setting your budget means you can still come out on top for the day, even if you don’t select a winner for every race.

Factors To Consider When Placing Your Coral Cup Bets

Going Conditions

The going conditions for each race can change each day depending on the weather conditions. Many horses will prefer to run on good, soft or heavy ground, so when looking at their form, it will important to identify if they can compete successfully on the ground, as this can also alter their odds within the Coral Cup betting markets.

Weight Conditions

The Coral Cup is a handicap chase, and this means the horses who participate in the race and feature in our Coral Cup tips will all carry a different weight. Those with a lower weight could have an advantage, especially on the heavier ground, as they will have less to carry.

Coral Cup Key Trends

Before placing any bets on Cheltenham Festival races, there are many Coral Cup trends which can not only influence your decisions but also Coral Cup betting tips. Many key trends point towards recent winners and those who have specifically won over hurdles.

Within the last 20 renewals, there are multiple trends which can help you select a winner, and we’ve highlighted some of them below:

• 79% of the most recent runners in the race have between 2-6 career wins over hurdle obstacles
• 89% of the most recent winners, and runners did also not run at Cheltenham last time out. While this points towards inexperience, it also offers an advantage as they have run on different ground conditions.
• 75% of runners who also participate and go on to win within this race have also won within their last five starts.

Where to put on your Coral Cup tips

The Coral Cup is one of the most influential handicap races at the Cheltenham Festival, and if you’re looking for the chance to back a bigger-priced winner, this could be your chance, given that the stats support horses with the larger odds of landing a win. If you’re looking to make an informed betting choice, then why not take a look through all our Coral Cup tips?

Coral Cup FAQs

What day is the Coral Cup 2024?

The date of the Coral Cup is Wednesday 13th March, which is the second day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Is the Coral Cup a handicap?

Yes, the Coral Cup is a handicap race where horses will all run with different weights.

What is the distance of the Coral Cup?

The distance of the Coral Cup will be around two miles and five furlongs on the old course.

How many runners are in the Coral Cup?

There will be a max of 26 runners within the Coral Cup

How many hurdles will be jumped in the Coral Cup?

During the running of the race 10 hurdles will be jumped.

How much is the prize money for the Coral Cup?

The prize money of the Coral Cup is approximately £100,000

How Can I Bet on the Coral Cup?

Whether you're browsing the ante post market or looking to place a bet just before the race, we have all of the odds available at Bet UK.