It is run over a distance of two miles and five furlongs with ten flights of hurdles to jump. The race was first run in 1993 and no horse has managed to win the race twice.
The race often features some significant gambles but the record of favourites is poor. Notable high-class Coral Cup winners include Time For A Run (1994), Trainglot (1996), Top Cees (1998), Whisper (2014) and Supersundae (2017).
The inaugural Coral Cup helped to establish the race with victory going to Martin Pipe’s Olympian, scooping a £50,000 bonus for following up his win in the Imperial Cup at Sandown.
The following year Charlie Swan rode a classic waiting race on Time For A Run, a well-backed winner from the Edward O’Grady stable.
Trainglot was a Cesarewitch Handicap winner on the flat and he was another popular winner of the Coral Cup for Jimmy Fitzgerald in 1996.
Top Cees won the Chester Cup in 1995 and 1997 on the flat for Lynda Ramsden and he also showed his versatility when winning here off a lightweight in 1998.
2000 Coral Cup winner What’s Up Boys nearly won the Aintree Grand National later in his career for Philip Hobbs. He was driven three lengths clear by Richard Johnson on the run-in but was caught close home by Bindaree. It was the closest that champion jockey ever came to winning the great race.
Hobbs also won this with another subsequent chaser in Monkerhostin (2004). His biggest success came as an eleven-year-old when winning the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown in 2008.
Nicky Henderson has enjoyed plenty of success in this race and his most notable winner was Whisper (2014). He followed up in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle and was also smart over fences, finishing second to Might Bite in the RSA Chase and to Total Recall in the Ladbrokes Trophy.
Supersundae was another top-quality winner of the Coral Cup in 2017. He went on to win the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle in 2018. Jessica Harrington’s gelding also had the stamina to finish second in a Cheltenham Stayers’ Hurdle.
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) March 20, 2022
Key Coral Cup Trials
Coral Cup winners come from a wide range of handicaps in Britain and Ireland.
The most informative trials have been at Leopardstown and Cheltenham. Five of the last twelve winners had a previous win at Cheltenham to their credit.
Heaven Help Us won the Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown prior to winning here in 2021.
Interestingly, that race also produced the winners of the Mares’ Novices Hurdle (Telmesomethinggirl) and Pertemps Final (Mrs Milner).
Coral Cup Betting Trends
The average winning SP in the Coral Cup over the past twelve seasons has been 18-1. That tells you all you need to know about how difficult it is to pinpoint the winner.
There has only been one successful favourite during that time, Nicky Henderson’s Dame De Compagnie (5-1) in 2020. The only other winner in single figures was 9-1 second favourite Aux Ptits Soins for Paul Nicholls in 2015.
There have been two 33-1 winners; Medinas in 2013 and Heaven Help Us in 2021. William Henry (2019) was only five points shorter at 28-1 having been pulled up in his last race before having wind surgery.
Horses aged five to seven have the best recent record in the race, although William Henry won as a nine-year-old. Son Of Flicka (2012) and Diamond King (2016) were both successful in the Coral Cup at the age of eight.
Previous winning form in excess of two miles is a definite plus with seven of the last twelve winners having won at or beyond 19 furlongs.
All twelve winners had at least two previous victories over hurdles and all but two had raced at least six times. The hurly-burly of the Coral Cup does not suit inexperienced horses.
An official rating of 138 or higher is usually required to win this race. Heaven Help Us was right on that mark in 2021 while the highest-rated recent winner was Whisper (2014) rated 153. William Henry was rated 151, Diamond King 149 and Medinas 148.
Coral Cup – Top Trainers and Jockeys
Nicky Henderson is the leading trainer in the history of the Coral Cup with four winners; Spirit River (2010), Whisper (2014), William Henry (2019) and Dame De Compagnie (2020).
Although Ireland has been increasingly successful in this race, their victories have been shared among a large number of trainers.
Only Edward O’Grady and Gordon Elliott have recorded two victories. O’Grady struck with Time For A Run in 1994 and Sky’s The Limit in 2006. Elliott’s two victories to date were Carlito Brigante (2011) and Diamond King (2016).
Two jockeys have won the Coral Cup on three occasions. Barry Geraghty rode three winners for Nicky Henderson; Spirit River (2010), Whisper (2014) and William Henry (2019).
Davy Russell was successful on Naiad de Misselot (2008), Carlito Brigante (2011) and Diamond King (2016).
Betting on the Coral Cup
The Coral Cup is one of the biggest betting races at the Cheltenham Festival, despite the poor record of favourites.
It regularly features ante-post gambles and bookmakers offer enhanced place terms, sometimes down to seventh place for each-way bets.
Bookmakers have started offering “non-runner – no bet” on the Coral Cup towards the end of January. This is weeks before the weights are even announced so it makes sense to bet NRNB on this notoriously tricky contest.
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Bet £10 and get £30 in free bet credits with William Hill for the Cheltenham races. These can be used on all the big races at the Festival including the Gold Cup, Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle. Certain deposit restrictions may apply.
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The Unibet offer is a bit different from other bookies and is your money back as a free bet credit if your horse finished in second. This takes away some of the pain of just missing out! Unibet are great Cheltenham bookmaker and currently sponsors the Champion Hurdle, check out our full review for more info.
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The Coral Cup has a distance of 2 miles and 5 furlongs.
Coral Cup Facts
The Coral Cup is a National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older.
It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of 2 miles and 5 furlongs (4,225 metres), and during it’s running there are ten hurdles to be jumped.
Often the winner of the Imperial Cup tries to run in the Coral Cup for a bonus.
The winner regularly returns at decent odds as the race is so competitive.
Summary of The Coral Cup
The Coral Cup is one of the most fiercely contested National Hunt races of the season.
Often run at a frantic pace, slick jumping, a good handicap and a degree of luck is needed. Normally approaching the last flight there are still half a dozen in with a fighting chance.
We always look forward to the Coral Cup, with such a large field it’s one of the great racing spectacles.
Other Cheltenham Related Articles
If you have enjoyed this Cheltenham Coral Cup page, here are some other articles related to Cheltenham betting you may also like:
James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur who founded British Racecourses because of his love for horse racing. James owns 14 racehorses through Dooley Thoroughbreds, so he understands all aspects of horse racing, from wagering bets, and booking jockeys to sourcing the best horse racing trainers. James Dooley’s connections give him inside information on horse racing tips and best chances of a winner.
Betfair bet £10 and get £30 is a decent offer if you are opening an account for Cheltenham betting. Betfair is one of the best bookmakers around and is highly recommended for betting on the Cheltenham Festival as well as other top sporting events. Find out more about them today.
The bet365 Cheltenham offer is one of the best out there. As one of the top UK bookies we would expect this. The offer is a current deposit £10 and get £30 in free bet credits, for information and T&Cs follow the links below.
The Betfred offer is a great one -deposit £10 and get up to £40 in bet bonuses. These can be used on a variety of betting markets including racing, football and other sports. For more information on this leading UK bookmaker read our full view.
Get the 888Sport Bet £10 and get £30 Cheltenham offer today. For full terms and conditions or to claim this great free bet credit for the Cheltenham Festival simply follow the link now.
Coral is another hugely popular bookmaker and a high-street name. This deal for new customers is a good one, for more information on this free bets credit either follow the link or check out our bespoke review. As with all betting offers certain terms and conditions will apply.
Take advantage of the very best Cheltenham betting offers and free bets at the Parimatch sportsbook website with great sportsbook sign up bonuses for new horse racing bettors at the Cheltenham Festival
Bet £10 and get £30 in free bet credits with William Hill for the Cheltenham races. These can be used on all the big races at the Festival including the Gold Cup, Champion Chase and Champion Hurdle. Certain deposit restrictions may apply.
Bet £5 and get £20 with Ladbrokes is a good deal for punters who want to wage a small amount of their money but see a decent amount of free bet credits. As one of the leading and most respected bookies in the UK there are lots of benefits to opening an account whether for Cheltenham betting or at other times of the year.
The Unibet offer is a bit different from other bookies and is your money back as a free bet credit if your horse finished in second. This takes away some of the pain of just missing out! Unibet are great Cheltenham bookmaker and currently sponsors the Champion Hurdle, check out our full review for more info.
The Mr Play Cheltneham offer of bet £10 and get £15 is not one of the best on the market. However, this new bookmaker is hugely popular for punters looking for a new betting site. We have reviewed all of the best features, read our review or follow the link for more info.
A different Cheltenham offer from 32Red is their 100 profit boost! This one is definitely worth checking out as its totally different from the type of Cheltenham offered by other leading bookmakers. Read their full T&Cs to find out more.
Betway’s £70 in free bets for the countdown to 2023 Cheltenham Festival is an impressive sign up bonus
A good new offer for Paddy Power customers, basically bet £20 and you’ll be refunded in cash if you lose. This is a great Cheltenham offer from this leading Irish bookmaker. For information on them including BOG, live streaming of Cheltenham races and more, follow the links.
There’s a BetUK Cheltenham Offer to claim that requires you to just deposit and wager £20 and get £60 in Cheltenham Festival free bets.
A Cheltenham double-the-odds promotion from Grosvenor is good and Cheltenham offer with a difference. New to the UK gambling scene Grosvenor is growing in popularity, check out the perks in our full review.
The livescorebet Cheltenham free bet made our top list of hand-selected Cheltenham Festival special offers for horse racing punters looking to wager bets in the UK or Ireland
Take advantage of the Matchbook £50 free bets for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival
Boylesports Bet 10 Get 60 Cheltenham Offer is for Ireland Customers Only
QuinnBet has multiple Cheltenham Offers from £35 free bets on Cheltenham Festival or the bet 10 get 60 betting promotion for Irish punters
Kwiff Cheltenham Betting offer of a free £20 bet is good who sportsbook punters who also enjoy playing casino online
Claim your SBK Cheltenham Offer when you deposit £10 and get £20 in Cheltenham Festival free bets.
Use code COMMFREE to trade with 0% for 60 days for Cheltenham Festival Free Bets. Minimum £10 first deposit only using Debit Card or Instant Banking. 18+. BeGambleAware.org. Full T&Cs apply.
