Coral Gold Cup 2025 — Runner-by-Runner Guide

Coral Gold Cup 2025 — Runner-by-Runner Guide
3m 1f 214y | Premier Handicap Chase | Newbury | Saturday
This year’s Coral Gold Cup brings together a broad, intriguing field: established graded performers, upward-curving second-season chasers, and a handful of old-fashioned stayers who look tailor-made for a deep winter handicap. Here’s how they line up.

1. Monty’s Star
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead • Jockey: J. J. Burke
A bona fide Grade 1 horse dipping into handicap company. Fourth in last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, he brings the class angle but must shoulder top weight. If he travels and jumps with his usual fluency, he’ll be in the shake-up. The weight is the only real negative.

2. Intense Raffles
Trainer: Thomas Gibney • Jockey: Ben Bromley (5)
Irish Grand National winner with stamina in spades. His form can vary, but a strong gallop and the 5lb claim make him interesting. If he gets into a rhythm early, he stays all day and could surprise a few late.

3. Three Card Brag
Trainer: Gordon Elliott • Jockey: Jordan Gainford
Progressive and already a big-field handicap winner this season. Muscular jumper, uncomplicated, and looks tailor-made for a race like this. A 6lb rise may not stop him if he keeps improving. Major player.

4. Spanish Harlem
Trainer: Willie Mullins • Jockey: Danny Mullins
A polished stayer who has come of age in big handicaps. The Kerry National win was impressive, and he shapes as though this trip and test are ideal. Needs another personal best, but that’s hardly unusual for this yard.

5. Perceval Legallois
Trainer: Gavin Cromwell • Jockey: Keith Donoghue
Tough, consistent and battle-hardened. Has landed big staying pots before and rarely runs a bad race. Not thrown in off 11st 8lb, but an honest stayer who will be there when others have had enough.

6. Blizzard Of Oz
Trainer: Willie Mullins • Jockey: J. J. Slevin
Lightly raced and improving. A Listed chase winner with scope to step forward again upped in trip. Unexposed compared with many; could easily be the Mullins horse who finds the necessary chunk of improvement.

7. Resplendent Grey
Trainer: Olly Murphy • Jockey: Sean Bowen
Already proven over extreme trips, including winning the bet365 Gold Cup. His Carlisle return was smooth and the cheekpieces are back on. Strong jumper with stamina, professionalism and form in big handicaps. Very solid.

8. Gorgeous Tom
Trainer: Henry de Bromhead • Jockey: Darragh O’Keeffe
A quality novice last season and ran a cracker behind Firefox on seasonal debut. First try in a huge staying handicap; if he gets home, his cruising speed and touch of class make him dangerous.

9. Lowry’s Bar
Trainer: Philip Hobbs & Johnson White • Jockey: Sean Houlihan
Good novice season with wins at Exeter and Chepstow and a Grade 2 second. Forgive the Kempton run (bled). Has ability but must prove he’s sharp enough for this level on seasonal return.

10. Victtorino
Trainer: Venetia Williams • Jockey: Charlie Deutsch
Third in this race last year and a model of consistency in winter handicaps. Proven at the track and over the trip. Not impossibly treated and should run his usual honest, bold race.

11. Hyland
Trainer: Nicky Henderson • Jockey: James Bowen
Neat, accurate jumper who progressed smoothly through novice company. His Cheltenham reappearance was respectable and he is expected to improve for it. Strong traveller who could come into it late.

12. Annual Invictus
Trainer: Chris Gordon • Jockey: Freddie Gordon
Front-runner who loves rolling along relentlessly. Very good in last season’s big staying handicaps and likely to be one of the pace-setters. Could take some pegging back if allowed his own fractions.

13. The Changing Man
Trainer: Joe Tizzard • Jockey: Brendan Powell
Exceptionally consistent and keeps finding more. Strong staying novice last season, shaped well on reappearance, and now has cheekpieces for the first time. Off 10st 12lb, he looks a major contender.

14. Riskintheground
Trainer: Dan Skelton • Jockey: Kielan Woods
Six wins last season and still progressing. This is tougher and requires another step forward, but he’s a tenacious, improving stayer. Needs to tighten his jumping in a field of this depth.

15. Myretown
Trainer: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore • Jockey: Derek Fox
Ran away with last season’s Ultima in devastating fashion. Up 15lb for that demolition job, but he’s lightly raced and could still be ahead of the handicapper. Strong, powerful stayer who thrives in big fields.

16. O’Moore Park
Trainer: Willie Mullins • Jockey: Sean O’Keeffe
Winless over fences but often runs well without quite getting there. Profile screams “big handicap winner in waiting”. Off 10st 10lb, he’s weighted to strike if everything comes together.

17. Panic Attack
Trainer: Dan Skelton • Jockey: Tristan Durrell (3)
Brilliant in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and turns out quickly under a penalty. First attempt at this sort of trip, but she travels well and has gears. If she stays, she is right in this.

18. Katate Dori
Trainer: Sam Thomas • Jockey: Dylan Johnston (3)
A spring revelation last year, winning three staying handicaps. The Ultima didn’t show him at his best and he had a tune-up run at Aintree. With a claim and proven stamina, he’s a live outsider.

19. The Doyen Chief
Trainer: Alan King • Jockey: Tom Bellamy
On an upward trajectory over staying trips. His Bangor reappearance second was encouraging and he remains well treated off 10st 6lb. Still improving and interesting at a price.

20. Grandeur D’Ame
Trainer: Alan King • Jockey: Tom Cannon
Classy on his best days but stamina a question. Travelled well for a long way on return before falling late. Needs a clean, efficient round and may find the final mile stretching.

21. Moon D’orange
Trainer: John McConnell • Jockey: Alex Harvey (3)
Strong handicap winner at Cheltenham last winter and kept busy over hurdles this autumn. Off a light weight he’s not dismissed, but must sharpen his jumping to figure in a deep renewal.

22. Pic Roc
Trainer: Ben Pauling • Jockey: Ben Jones
Finally scored over fences at Huntingdon but takes a huge step up here. His jumping has been patchy, and Newbury punishes inefficiency. Needs a career-best by some margin.

23. Inch House
Trainer: Paul Nicholls • Jockey: Harry Cobden
Shaped better than the result on his recent run behind Three Card Brag. Though 2lb out of the handicap, Nicholls has won this before with similar types. Can outrun his odds with a clear round.

24. A Penny A Hundred
Trainer: Willie Mullins • Jockey: Sean Cleary-Farrell (7)
Game and consistent mare but this is deeper and further than ideal. Lightly weighted, but she’s 2lb wrong and likely running for minor money unless conditions turn attritional.

25. Ask Brewster – First Reserve
Trainer: Evan Williams
Progressive staying chaser who’s out of the handicap and needs a non-runner to get in. Faces a big rise in class but improving fast; still a tall order.

Summary

Strongest cases near the top: Resplendent Grey, The Changing Man, Myretown, Spanish Harlem, Three Card Brag.

Class angles carrying weight: Monty’s Star, Intense Raffles, Victtorino.

Dangerous improvers / dark horses: Blizzard Of Oz, Katate Dori, O’Moore Park, The Doyen Chief.

Available horses/buy shares