RacingBetter News
	Monday 7th March 2022

Four Reasons Galvin Could Take the Cheltenham Gold Cup by Storm

The Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the Cheltenham Festival. It’s a sweet feeling to win any race at the four-day Prestbury Park meeting, but the thrill of landing a winner in the Gold Cup is about as good as it gets in the sport. Every jockey and trainer dreams of seeing their name up in lights after winning the meeting’s blue riband event.

For Gordon Elliott, a win in the Gold Cup would be a timely boon for a trainer who is attempting to rebuild his reputation after serving his ban last year. Galvin is the horse who is most likely to land him the top prize, with the seven-year-old priced as the second favourite in the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting. So, let’s take a look at a few reasons why Galvin could cause a stir.

Winning formula

For a long time, Galvin has seemed like a horse destined for greatness. With seven wins over fences on his record, it’s no surprise that he is finally starting to make a real name for himself in the biggest races. Even during a brief spell under Ian Ferguson during Elliott’s ban from racing, Galvin won the Sam Vestey National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Chase, proof that he has what it takes to win at the Cheltenham Festival.

In total, he has lost just once in his last eight outings, so there’s every reason to believe Galvin has what it takes to win the Gold Cup.

Beating the big guns

Another important factor is that he already has experience of defeating some of the horses he will be going up against. A Plus Tard, trained by Henry de Bromhead, is the current favourite for the Gold Cup, but Galvin got the better of him in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in February. Indeed, it was that win that saw Galvin’s odds for the Gold Cup shorten significantly, and you can bet that a seed of doubt will have been planted in De Bromhead’s mind.

It's clear that Galvin is not afraid to take on the star names and match them stride for stride. It’ll be interesting to see how he copes in the firepit that is the Gold Cup.

The Elliott factor

There’s no denying that Elliott brought a lot of bad publicity to horse racing when photographs emerged of him straddling a deceased horse last year. However, it must be remembered that the 44-year-old is still one of the most talented racehorse trainers around, and he knows what it takes to get a tune out of his animals.

Indeed, Elliott notched six winners at the 2020 Festival, and having missed out on the Prestbury Park meeting last year, he’ll be more motivated than ever to do himself justice at the event. The Irishman will be doing everything he can to make sure Galvin is in tip-top shape for the showpiece race.

Power of momentum

The momentum gained by Elliott and Galvin after winning the Savills Chase can’t be underestimated, and the trainer and jockey Davy Russell will be feeling confident as the 2022 Cheltenham Festival looms ever closer. Indeed, Russell has his own motivation after missing out on Cheltenham last year through injury, so it could prove that the stars are aligning for Galvin to produce a memorable victory.