CORAL CUP

The Coral Cup is a handicap hurdle and the first big betting heat on Day 2 of the Festival.

Grade 3 | 4yo+ | Wednesday 14.50 
2 miles 5 furlongs | 10 hurdles | Old Course
Weight: 10st - 11st 12lb (handicap)
Prize money (2023): £98,370 | 1st: £56,270

Introduced to the Cheltenham Festival in 1993, it is one of the most competitive handicaps of the week and often turns into a cavalry charge on the run to the finish line.

CORAL CUP TRENDS

12 of the last 14 winners had run at Cheltenham before
Nicky Henderson has trained 4 of the last 14 winners
1 of the 30 winners were the top weight
5 of the last 7 winners were aged 7
1 of the last 20 favourites won
Updated to include 2023 renewal

The Coral Cup has tended to favour lightly raced hurdlers who are less well known to the Irish and British handicappers.

Sky's The Limit is the only horse to carry top weight to victory, although Wicklow Brave was just collared on the line in 2019.

Big-priced winners are not uncommon, as evidenced by the recent victories of Heaven Help Us at 33/1 in 2021 and Commander Of Fleet at a whopping 50/1 in 2022.

Both of those winners had claiming jockeys on-board and thus were carrying 7lb and 5lb (respectively) below their allotted weights.

Top trainers often have more than one Coral Cup runner and it isn’t always the most fancied horse from a yard that prevails.

Nicky Henderson certainly likes to target this and his four winners in the last 14 renewals have come from no fewer than 41 entries.

But, notably, all four of those winners had won at Cheltenham before (17 of the 41 had).

That's an impressive 4-17 with horses that had won here before, especially when you consider their SP's of 5/1, 28/1, 14/1 & 14/1.

CORAL CUP ODDS

LAST 5 WINNERS’ DATA

YEAR
AGE
OFFICIAL RATING
WEIGHT
2023
7
141
11-4
2022
8
152
11-5
2021
7
138
10-2
2020
7
140
10-12
2019
9
151
11-10

RECENT WINNERS

YEAR
WINNER
JOCKEY / TRAINER
SP
2024
-
/
/
2023
Langer Dan
Harry Skelton / Dan Skelton
9/1
2022
Commander Of Fleet
Shane Fitzgerald / Gordon Elliott
50/1
2021
Heaven Help Us
Richard Condon / Paul Hennessy
33/1
2020
Dame De Compagnie
Barry Geraghty / Nicky Henderson
5/1f
2019
William Henry
Nico de Boinville / Nicky Henderson
28/1
2018
Bleu Berry
Mark Walsh / Willie Mullins
20/1
2017
Supasundae
Robbie Power / Jessica Harrington
16/1
2016
Diamond King
Davy Russell / Gordon Elliott
12/1
2015
Aux Ptits Soins
Sam Twiston-Davies / Paul Nicholls
9/1
2014
Whisper
Nico de Boinville / Nicky Henderson
14/1
2013
Medinas
Wayne Hutchinson / Alan King
33/1
2012
Son of Flicka
Jason Maguire / Donald McCain
16/1
2011
Carlito Brigante
Davy Russell / Gordon Elliott
16/1
2010
Spirit River
Barry Geraghty / Nicky Henderson
14/1
2009
Ninetieth Minute
Paddy Flood / Tom Taaffe
14/1
2008
Naiad du Misselot
Davy Russell / Ferdy Murphy
7/1
2007
Burntoakboy
Sam Jones / Richard Newland
10/1
2006
Sky's The Limit
Barry Geraghty / Edward O'Grady
11/1
2005
Idole First
Alan O'Keeffe / Venetia Williams
33/1
2004
Monkerhostin
Richard Johnson / Philip Hobbs
13/2
2003
Xenophon
Mick Fitzgerald / Tony Martin
4/1f
2002
Ilnamar
Rodi Greene / Martin Pipe
25/1
2001

Festival Cancelled

2000
What's Up Boys
Paul Flynn / Philip Hobbs
33/1
Scoll down for previous Coral Cup winners

Langer Dan 2023

Commander Of Fleet sprang a 50/1 surprise in a mud-splattered Coral Cup in 2022 - winning a thrilling head-bobbing finish under 5lb claimer Shane Fitzgerald.

Runner-up in the 2019 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, the winner clearly relished the stamina-sapping conditions.

Gordon Elliott, who saddled seven runners, celebrated his first Festival winner in two years having been suspended the previous year:

‘CHELTENHAM IS A PLACE THAT HAS BEEN VERY LUCKY FOR ME...TO BE BACK TRAINING WINNERS IN FRONT OF EVERYONE IS GREAT’

Heaven Help Us galloped clear of the field in 2021 to give Paul Hennessy, a greyhound trainer with just three horses in training, his first Festival winner.

The mare, born and raised at his home, was ridden by 7lb claimer Richie Condon in his first-ever ride at Cheltenham:

‘I’M DISAPPOINTED THE PUBS AREN’T OPEN BUT BACK HOME IN IRELAND WE ARE DAIRY FARMERS AND THERE PROBABLY WON’T BE A COW MILKED FOR A WEEK’

The mare Dame De Compagnie justified market support in 2020 to make it back-to-back Coral Cup wins for Nicky Henderson.

William Henry denied the top weight Wicklow Brave with a late thrust in 2019.

Bleu Berry went from last to first in 2018, a first Festival winner for late substitution jockey Mark Walsh.

Supasundae 2017

Diamond King 2016

Aux Ptits Soins 2015

Whisper 2014

Medinas 2013

In 2012, Son Of Flicka - beaten by a neck in the previous year's Martin Pipe Hurdle - went one better having been backed in from 66/1 to 16/1 on the day.

Carlito Brigante 2011

Spirit River 2010

Ninetieth Minute 2009

Naiad du Misselot 2008

Burntoakboy 2007

Sky's The Limit 2006

Idole First 2005

Monkerhostin 2004

Xenophon 2003

Ilnamar 2002

What's Up Boys 2000

PREVIOUS WINNERS

YEAR
WINNER
JOCKEY / TRAINER
SP
1999
Khayrawani
Fran Berry / Christy Roche
16/1
1998
Top Cees
Barry Fenton / Lynda Ramsden
11/1
1997
Big Strand
Jamie Evans / Martin Pipe
16/1
1996
Trainglot
Mark Dwyer / Jimmy FitzGerald
11/2
1995
Chance Coffey
Gerry O'Neill / Pat O'Donnell
11/1
1994
Time for a Run
Charlie Swan / Edward O'Grady
11/1
1993
Olympian
Peter Scudamore / Martin Pipe
4/1jf
All Coral Cup winners prior to 2000

CORAL CUP FAQ’s