Day 4: Gold Cup Day - Friday 13 March 2026

Cheltenham 14 March 2025 Inothewayurthinkin and Mark Walsh win The Gold Cup
Healy Racing PhotosThe fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival is many people’s favourite, especially as the feature race is the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

It’s arguably the biggest race of the entire week and it’s well supported by more graded and handicap events. Here are some strong ante-post fancies for each of the seven races.

Here at irishracing.com we search for the value on day 4 of the Cheltenham Festival to help you land those big bets, adding to the excitement and anticipation of one of the best days racing of the year. Find big-priced Cheltenham Festival tips here and discover which horses can make an impact at this year's National Hunt bonanza.

Vincent Finegan's Day 4 Tips

Galopin Des Champs looks by far the most likely winner of the Gold Cup at this stage of the season. His comeback run in the Savills Chase at Christmas was full of promise and he can safely be expected to improve considerably as he nears peak fitness. Last year’s winner, Inothewayurthinkin, is respected as a major danger, but on balance of what we have seen from the pair so far this season there is little doubt that Galopin Des Champs is the more likely to be challenging for Gold Cup honours come March.

Dinoblue ran out a very easy winner of this race last season and everything points towards a repeat victory. Her two races so far this season have indicated that she is in at least as good a form as last year and her track experience at Cheltenham is a big factor in her favour against her stablemate and chief rival Spindelberry.

Laurence Morter's Cheltenham Tips Day 4

Triumph Hurdle - Narciso Has @ 6/4

Willie Mullins has unlocked the key to this race in recent years, winning five of the last six renewals. The market suggests it could be a similar story this time around and he trains the first three in the betting. Narciso Has was a winner on debut in France and has won his last two starts in good style, claiming a Grade 1 at Leopardstown last time out. He’s the one to beat and the four-year-old is well set for a big run.

County Hurdle - Sinnatra @ 16/1

Novices are potentially less exposed than seasoned handicappers and can therefore have an advantage. Dan Skelton does well in this race and Sinnatra looks like an interesting angle. He absolutely bolted up in a maiden hurdle at Sandown last month and horses don’t often win by 55 lengths. The step up in trip didn’t work out at Huntingdon next time but handicaps could be the way to go and there should be more to come.

Mares’ Chase - Spindleberry @ 10/3

Another race that Mullins has locked down, he trains the first two in the betting for the Mares’ Chase and Spindleberry has progressed into a very useful mare. A Grade 1 winner as a novice, things didn’t quite go to plan in the Irish Gold Cup last time out, but this is obviously easier and the drop back in trip will suit.

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle - Thedeviluno @ 6/1

This race often becomes a stiff test of stamina and can be a real slog if the ground is on the soft side. Proven stamina over three miles is a massive positive with that in mind and Paul Nolan’s progressive gelding Thedeviluno fits the bill. He was an impressive winner of the River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster and that performance indicates that he’s well up to running a big race at this level too.

Gold Cup - Gaelic Warrior @ 6/1

This is probably the most open Gold Cup in a couple of years and the fact that there are two British horses in the first three in the betting is unusual. That being said, Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior could be the one to side with. He won the John Durkan on seasonal debut but hasn’t been at his best in two starts since. His victory in the Bowl at Aintree last season is amongst the best form on offer and the stiff test of stamina will play to his strengths.

Festival Challenge Cup - Stattler @ 12/1

Stattler won the National Hunt Chase here at the Cheltenham Festival back in 2022 and, although his career went on the wrong trajectory afterwards, he has returned to a fair level of form in hunter chases this season. Stamina obviously isn’t an issue and having won in good style at Fakenham last time out, he looks ready for a return to this sort of grade.

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle - A Pai De Nom @ 8/1

Novices have an excellent record in this race over the last decade and the Dan Skelton-trained A Pai De Nom is very much of interest. He already has experience in a big field handicap, having run in the Lanzarote, and that experience will stand him in good stead. Skelton’s six-year-old was an impressive winner at Newbury this month and further progress is anticipated.

Vincent Finegan

Vincent, who lives on the Curragh in Co. Kildare, is the editor of irishracing.com and has almost 40 years experience in the horse racing industry. He writes a weekly blog on this website covering all aspects of the sport and presents our Irish Angle video show on Mondays. He is a dual winner of The Irish Field naps table.

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You can find more top Cheltenham tips for the festival below:

• Cheltenham tips

• Day 1 Cheltenham tips

• Day 2 Cheltenham tips

• Day 3 Cheltenham tips

• Cheltenham Racecards

• Cheltenham ante-post tips and trends

• Cheltenham betting