Who Are the Paddy Power Gold Cup 2026 Runners and Favourites?
The Paddy Power Gold Cup 2026 runners include Festival winners and ambitious chasers. Nineteen horses survived Monday’s confirmation stage for Saturday’s ÂŁ160,000 feature, but final declarations still matter. Meetmebythesea heads the market, while changing ground could redraw the contest.
Paddy Power Gold Cup 2026 Runners, Weights and Odds
These are 19 entries, not final declarations. Weights are handicap allocations; jockeys are provisional bookings. Prices are 12 November ante-post snapshots, not live quotes.
| Horse | Age | Weight | Trainer | Jockey listed | Odds | Recent form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matata | 8 | 12-0 | N & W Twiston-Davies | TBC | 20/1 | 3155PF |
| Madara | 7 | 11-11 | D Skelton | TBC | 13/2 | 252133 |
| Meetmebythesea | 6 | 11-10 | B Pauling | H Cobden | 5/2 | 131161 |
| Johnnywho | 9 | 11-9 | J & A O’Neill | TBC | 25/1 | 53514 |
| Blueking d’Oroux | 7 | 11-7 | D Skelton | TBC | 7/1 | 21522 |
| Riskintheground | 9 | 11-5 | D Skelton | H Atkins | 50/1 | 21363 |
| July Flower | 7 | 11-1 | H de Bromhead | TBC | 8/1 | 11354 |
| Quebecois | 7 | 11-0 | P Nicholls | S Twiston-Davies | 9/2 | 223P2 |
| Issam | 8 | 10-13 | T Symonds | TBC | 50/1 | 36165 |
| O’Moore Park | 9 | 10-11 | M Keighley | F Keighley | 8/1 | 67931 |
| Guard Your Dreams | 10 | 10-11 | N & W Twiston-Davies | TBC | 50/1 | 21B4P |
| Zurich | 7 | 10-11 | H de Bromhead | TBC | 7/1 | 13525 |
| Norn Iron | 8 | 10-10 | H Derham | P O’Brien | 20/1 | 23112 |
| Release The Beast | 7 | 10-8 | P Nolan | TBC | 20/1 | 6224U |
| Torneo | 6 | 10-7 | J Snowden | G Sheehan | 12/1 | 24611 |
| Dunkerque | 6 | 10-5 | J Candlish | TBC | 100/1 | 112123 |
| Classic Maestro | 8 | 10-4 | J Candlish | TBC | 66/1 | U62P31 |
| Passing Diamond | 6 | 10-1 | B Haslam | TBC | 33/1 | 31112 |
| Moon d’Orange | 8 | 9-10 | C Williams | TBC | 33/1 | 37074 |
The minimum is 10st 2lb. Passing Diamond and Moon d’Orange have lower allocations, requiring a final weight check.
What Time Is the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday?
Why Are Meetmebythesea and Madara Worth Watching?
Meetmebythesea won March’s Jack Richards chase but now races from a mark 12lb higher.
Paddy Power Gold Cup Odds: Which Bets Make Sense?
Compare win prices and each-way place terms through our horse racing betting guide.
Each-way betting is two separate wagers, one to win and one to place. A ÂŁ5 each-way stake therefore costs ÂŁ10. At one-quarter the win odds, a 12/1 selection returns 3/1 on the place part if it finishes in an eligible position. Ante-post bets can lose if a horse does not run.
Will the Cheltenham Going Change the Race?
Rain and watering changed Wednesday’s going to good, good to soft in places. Further irrigation could influence Madara’s participation and the final race conditions. A horse’s Festival reputation can make an attractive headline; the declaration, ground and price should make the bet. Saturday’s best decision may be to compare the full field again after the jockeys, going and each-way terms settle.
