Three Leading Contenders For The Cheltenham Gold Cup In 2022 #cp

The jumps season is winding down over the next couple of weeks, as fans will be able to look back on the tremendous Cheltenham Festival, and history-making Grand National with fondness.  

 

However, the markets for the Cheltenham Festival next year are already open, with gamblers able to get the best odds for the leading chances in the biggest races over the next couple of months. 

 

The biggest race of the lot in 2022 will be the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and punters will already be assessing where their money should go. But, which three standout horses should be in the discussion for next year? 

 

Monkfish 

 

Willie Mullins enjoyed yet another Cheltenham Festival full of winners, but few of his stars shone as bright as Monkfish. The seven-year-old enjoyed an unbeaten season this term, and will be looking to round off his season with more success at Punchestown at the end of the month.  

 

He can be found at around 4/1 in the markets for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham next year, but that price could be slashed should he continue his dominance in Ireland at the end of this season. 

 

He became a two-time Festival winner in March, as he added the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase to the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett that he won 12 months earlier.  

 

Monkfish could be the next star in the jumps world judging by his performance this year, as he finished six and a half lengths clear of Fiddlerontheroof. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the next logical step, and he will likely go off at a much shorter price than the one offered at present. 

 

Envoi Allen 

 

Envoi Allen was many people’s NAP of the week at the Cheltenham Festival, with huge money coming in for the seven-year-old in the Marsh Novices’ Chase. However, the favourite produced one of the shocks of the week, as he fell at the fourth fence, which allowed Chantry House to claim the Grade 1.  

 

There could have been external factors that played a part in his performance on the day, as he did change trainers in the lead up to the Festival. 

 

However, there is no denying that he will be back stronger with Grade National and Gold Cup-winning trainer Henry De Bromhead. The seven-year-olds fall was even more shocking considering that he had won on all 12 starts leading up to the Festival.  

 

However, he remains a two-time Festival winner, and should have the quality to bounce straight back. Interestingly, he could come up against Monkfish in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Steeplechase at Punchestown at the end of the month. 

 

Minella Indo 

 

The biggest market mover for the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup is Minella Indo, as he has been cut from 33/1 to 6/1 with many of the leading sportsbooks. The biggest reason for that is down to the success that he achieved in the Gold Cup this season.  

 

The eight-year-old was the ride for Jack Kennady, as Rachael Blackmore opted for A Plus Tard instead. He was excellent around the Cheltenham course, and eventually ran out winner by a length and a quarter. 

 

That success was the second Festival winner for Minella Indo, and came a year after he finished a length behind Champ in the Grade 1 RSA Chase. The Blackmore-De Bromhead partnership has been one of the biggest stories in racing over the past 12 months, and the two could add to their Grand National success with a win in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.  

 

Blackmore has made history throughout the season, but winning the Gold Cup is the last honour missing from her collection. 

 

So, these are my top picks for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Tell us what did we miss and if you fancy horse racing don’t forget to bet on the Kentucky Derby too: TwinSpires.com/kentuckyderby/contenders 



Photo by Jeff Griffith on Unsplash

Karl Young

Part-time daddy and lifestyle blogger. Father of 2 boys under 2. Golfer, scare-fan, tea-lover, traveller, squash and poker player. I write on the @HuffPostUK http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/karl-young/

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