You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Sodexo Gold Cup Preview
Created in 2006, the Sodexo Gold Cup was originally a Class 2 before being upgraded in 2009 to a Listed race and then again in 2011 to a Grade 3, and now runs as a Premier Handicap Chase that is run at Ascot Racecourse in either late October or early November.
It is open to runners aged four or older and is run over a trip of just shy of three miles, with runners facing a gruelling twenty fences.
Cheltenham Form Stands Out
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Sodexo Gold Cup Information:
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Ascot tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Ascot Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the Sodexo Gold Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2023, when the race had an over-round of 111%. The race in 2017 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 133%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Sodexo Gold Cup, the over-round has been 122%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £122 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Sodexo Gold Cup Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Sodexo Gold Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Sodexo Gold Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Exmoor Ranger (5:49.60) in 2011
- Antony (5:50.50) in 2016
- What A Warrior (5:51.25) in 2014
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Sodexo Gold Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -8.50. Ahead of the 2026 Sodexo Gold Cup, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 5:49.60 was set by Exmoor Ranger in 2011, trained by Victor Dartnall and ridden by Andrew Glassonbury, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2021 when Larry won in a time of 6:12.20 for trainer Gary Moore, who booked Jamie Moore in the saddle.
Sodexo Gold Cup Past Winners
Here are the Sodexo Gold Cup past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Sodexo Gold Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:57.67 | Henrys Friend (IRE) 8yo 11-10 17/2 | Ben Jones Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2024 5:58.38 | Chianti Classico (IRE) 7yo 12-0 11/4F | Tom Bellamy Kim Bailey (GB) |
| 2023 6:08.68 | Victtorino (FR) 5yo 10-12 20/1 | Charlie Deutsch Venetia Williams (GB) |
| 2022 5:57.22 | Our Power (IRE) 7yo 11-2 11/2 | Charlie Deutsch Sam Thomas (GB) |
| 2021 6:12.20 | Larry (GB) 8yo 10-0 9/1 | Jamie Moore Gary Moore (GB) |
| 2020 6:02.10 | Regal Encore (IRE) 12yo 10-10 14/1 | Richie McLernon Anthony Honeyball (GB) |
| 2019 5:59.40 | Vinndication (IRE) 6yo 11-0 2/1F | David Bass Kim Bailey (GB) |
| 2018 5:54.90 | Traffic Fluide (FR) 8yo 11-12 4/1 | Joshua Moore Gary Moore (GB) |
| 2017 6:03.90 | Go Conquer (IRE) 8yo 11-0 7/1 | Aidan Coleman Jonjo O'Neill (GB) |
| 2016 5:50.50 | Antony (FR) 6yo 10-1 11/1 | Jamie Moore Gary Moore (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Sodexo Gold Cup have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 44 placings from 252 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 11 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
Sodexo Gold Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Sodexo Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals is Gary Moore, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Antony (2016), Traffic Fluide (2018) and Larry (2021). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Sodexo Gold Cup are Venetia Williams (2 wins) and Kim Bailey (2 wins). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Sodexo Gold Cup. Paul Nicholls (0-27), Nigel Twiston-Davies (0-16) and Philip Hobbs (0-13) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Sodexo Gold Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Moore | 9-3-3 | +18.00 | +8.91 |
| Venetia Williams | 6-2-2 | +28.00 | +15.50 |
| Kim Bailey | 6-2-3 | +0.75 | +0.40 |
| David Pipe | 12-1-3 | -3.00 | -3.51 |
| Dan Skelton | 12-1-1 | -4.00 | -6.62 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 11-1-3 | -3.00 | -2.49 |
| Nicky Henderson | 9-1-4 | +1.00 | +2.39 |
| Anthony Honeyball | 6-1-3 | +9.00 | +9.00 |
| Charlie Longsdon | 6-1-1 | +0.50 | -1.56 |
| Victor Dartnall | 3-1-1 | +10.00 | +5.50 |
Sodexo Gold Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Sodexo Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals is Charlie Deutsch, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Our Power (2022) and Victtorino (2023).
Here are some of the top Sodexo Gold Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Deutsch | 4-2-2 | +23.50 | +13.44 |
| Richie McLernon | 8-1-5 | +7.00 | +10.13 |
| Harry Skelton | 6-1-2 | +2.00 | +0.57 |
| David Bass | 5-1-2 | -2.00 | -1.25 |
| Tom Bellamy | 4-1-1 | -0.25 | -1.35 |
| Ben Jones | 1-1-1 | +8.50 | +5.31 |
| Nick Scholfield | 8-0-2 | -8.00 | -5.72 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 7-0-4 | -7.00 | +0.28 |
| Brendan Powell | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | -1.06 |
| Lorcan Williams | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | -1.10 |
2026 Sodexo Gold Cup Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): (5, UR), PU, 2, 6, 5, F, PU, F, 9, 1, 3, 5, 3, 1, 2, PU, 3, 5, 1, (2, 3)
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Had 6 - 17 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Carried 140 - 164lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Fewer than 3 wins (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Beaten no more -20l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 1 - 5 wins (Chase)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - No bigger than 66/1 (Career)
- 18 / 20 (62%) - No bigger than 14/1
- 18 / 20 (79%) - No bigger than 16/1 (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (82%) - Achieved an RPR of 138+ (Last 5)
- 18 / 20 (83%) - Placed within last 4 starts
- 18 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 33/1 (Debut)
- 18 / 20 (88%) - No more than +3yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 17 / 20 (55%) - Within the first 7 of the market
- 17 / 20 (71%) - Achieved an RPR of 140+ (Last Win)
- 17 / 20 (72%) - Won by at least 1½l (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Ascot racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Sodexo Gold Cup. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Sodexo Gold Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
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2026 Sodexo Gold Cup Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the Sodexo Gold Cup will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
Sodexo Gold Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +36.00, is when runners ran in a race restricted to 4yo+ last time out.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had recorded 2 career falls; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-47.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Sodexo Gold Cup is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 264 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 1 runner.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Sodexo Gold Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Presenting (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Malinas (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Milan (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Scorpion (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was The Last Derby in 2009, winning for Eoin Griffin at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Liam Treadwell. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 3 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the Sodexo Gold Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Sodexo Gold Cup. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Henrys Friend Ayr - 8th of 23 (29/1) | Scottish Grand National |
| 2024 - Chianti Classico Aintree - 4th of 6 (6/1) | Mildmay Novices' Chase |
| 2023 - Victtorino Exeter - 4th of 7 (9/2) | Watch Irish Racing On RacingTV Novices Hurdle |
| 2022 - Our Power Cheltenham - 5th of 24 (11/1) | Ultima Handicap Chase |
| 2021 - Larry Fakenham - UR of 4 (3/1) | Download The At The Races App Handicap Chase |
| 2020 - Regal Encore Ascot - 3rd of 8 (15/2) | Swinley Handicap Chase |
| 2019 - Vinndication Cheltenham - 5th of 10 (11/2) | Discontinued Golden Miller |
| 2018 - Traffic Fluide Chepstow - 2nd of 12 (16/1) | Join The Coral Champions Club For Free Handicap Chase |
| 2017 - Go Conquer Fontwell - 1st of 8 (4/1) | Racebets "Double Deposit" Handicap Chase |
| 2016 - Antony Fontwell - 1st of 4 (2/1) | Southern Water "Keep It Clear" Handicap Chase |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Sodexo Gold Cup Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
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