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2026 Haldon Gold Cup Preview
The highlight of the Exeter Racecourse calendar is the Grade 2 Haldon Gold Cup, scheduled to take place in late October or early November of each year. The race is open to runners who are aged four or older, and it is run over a trip of two miles and one and a half furlongs, where the runners face twelve fences during the race.
Haldon Gold Cup Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Exeter, then head over to the Exeter tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below.
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How competitive is the Haldon 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 110%. The race in 2008 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 117%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Haldon Gold Cup, the over-round has been 113%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Haldon 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 Haldon Gold Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Haldon Gold Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Sir Valentino (3:57.50) in 2016
- Gods Own (4:03.00) in 2018
- Gods Own (4:07.30) 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 Haldon Gold Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -8.00. Ahead of the 2026 Haldon Gold Cup, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Sir Valentino, trained by Tom George and ridden by A P Heskin, who set the fastest winning time in the Haldon Gold Cup. That runner won the race in a time of 3:57.50 in 2016. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Sam Twiston-Davies with Politologue who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 4:35.20 in the 2017 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Haldon Gold Cup Past Winners
Here are the Haldon Gold Cup past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Haldon Gold Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:18.70 | Thistle Ask (IRE) 8yo 10-6 3/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2024 4:12.00 | JPR One (IRE) 7yo 11-12 11/4 | Brendan Powell Joe Tizzard (GB) |
| 2023 4:22.25 | Elixir De Nutz (FR) 9yo 10-0 13/2 | Freddie Gingell (7lbs) Joe Tizzard (GB) |
| 2022 4:11.30 | Greaneteen (FR) 8yo 11-12 7/2 | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2021 4:16.20 | Eldorado Allen (FR) 7yo 10-7 9/2 | Brendan Powell Colin Tizzard (GB) |
| 2020 4:14.60 | Greaneteen (FR) 6yo 11-3 15/8F | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2019 4:20.30 | Janika (FR) 6yo 11-10 5/2F | Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2018 4:03.00 | Gods Own (IRE) 10yo 11-9 7/2 | Paddy Brennan Tom George (GB) |
| 2017 4:35.20 | Politologue (FR) 6yo 11-2 5/2F | Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2016 3:57.50 | Sir Valentino (FR) 7yo 10-8 10/1 | A P Heskin Tom George (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Haldon Gold Cup have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 26 placings from 133 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
2025 Haldon Gold Cup Replay
Haldon Gold Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Haldon Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals is Paul Nicholls, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Tchico Polos (2010), Vibrato Valtat (2015), Politologue (2017) and Greaneteen (2020 & 2022). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Haldon Gold Cup are Tom George (3 wins) and Joe Tizzard (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Haldon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 27-5-16 | -8.62 | +0.23 |
| Tom George | 9-3-4 | +15.50 | +8.69 |
| Joe Tizzard | 6-2-2 | +5.25 | +1.78 |
| Philip Hobbs | 10-1-3 | -5.00 | -5.25 |
| Dan Skelton | 8-1-1 | -4.00 | -5.12 |
| Alan King | 5-1-2 | -0.50 | -0.81 |
| David Pipe | 4-1-1 | +1.50 | -0.19 |
| Henrietta Knight | 3-1-2 | +7.00 | +4.12 |
| Kevin Bishop | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +3.80 |
| Nicky Henderson | 1-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.56 |
Haldon Gold Cup Jockey Statistics
There are multiple leading jockeys in the Haldon Gold Cup over the last 20 renewals, with Harry Cobden, Brendan Powell, and Sam Twiston-Davies having all won the race two times. Harry Cobden winners have been with Greaneteen (2020 & 2022). Brendan Powell winners have been with Eldorado Allen (2021) and JPR One (2024). Sam Twiston-Davies' winners have been with Vibrato Valtat (2015) and Politologue (2017).
Here are some of the top Haldon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Cobden | 8-2-5 | -0.62 | -0.14 |
| Brendan Powell | 5-2-2 | +4.25 | +1.53 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 4-2-2 | +3.00 | +1.06 |
| Harry Skelton | 7-1-1 | -3.00 | -4.12 |
| Freddie Gingell | 1-1-1 | +6.50 | +4.06 |
| Nick Scholfield | 4-0-2 | -4.00 | -1.75 |
| Bryony Frost | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.70 |
| Charlie Deutsch | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -2.28 |
| Brian Hughes | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| David Bass | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
2026 Haldon Gold Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): UR, 3, 4, 1, 3, UR, 1, 3, 4, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 4, (2, 6), 2, 4
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number 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 (76%) - No bigger than 10/1
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Within the first 6 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Furthest ran 2m2f - 3m½f
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran over 1m½f - 2m2f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved a TS of 121+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in DNK/SCO/UAE/WAL (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Beaten no more -18l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 128 - 163lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Dam is not BEL/GER/NZ/USA bred
- 19 / 20 (79%) - Held an OR of 142+ (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No more than 2 falls (Career)
- 18 / 20 (65%) - Achieved an RPR of 153+ (Last 5)
- 18 / 20 (71%) - Achieved an RPR of 148+ (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (79%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 18 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 16/1 (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Exeter racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Haldon 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 ÂŁ6,000 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 Haldon Gold Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
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Haldon Gold Cup Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +16.88, is when runners ran in France on debut.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a race worth ÂŁ3,000 on debut, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-18.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Haldon Gold Cup is Aintree; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Aintree last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 135 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 1 runner.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Haldon Gold Cup:
- Great Pretender (2 Wins)
- Oscar (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Haldon Gold Cup; that stallion is Kapgarde, who has failed to produce a winner from 7 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Sir Valentino in 2016, winning for Tom George at odds of 10/1 under the guidance of A P Heskin. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 6 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.
If you are interested in other races at the Exeter racecourse, then why not read our blog for the Devon National?
Route to the Haldon Gold Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Haldon Gold Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Thistle Ask Wetherby - 1st of 6 (6/4) | Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap Chase |
| 2024 - JPR One Cheltenham - 7th of 10 (16/1) | Arkle Challenge Trophy |
| 2023 - Elixir De Nutz Chepstow - 5th of 5 (13/2) | John Ayres Memorial Handicap Chase |
| 2022 - Greaneteen Sandown - 1st of 5 (11/8) | Celebration Chase |
| 2021 - Eldorado Allen Aintree - 5th of 7 (7/1) | Manifesto Novices Chase |
| 2020 - Greaneteen Cheltenham - 4th of 18 (5/1) | Johnny Henderson Grand Annual |
| 2019 - Janika Aintree - 4th of 27 (9/2) | Topham Chase |
| 2018 - Gods Own Sandown - 3rd of 6 (11/1) | Celebration Chase |
| 2017 - Politologue Aintree - F of 5 (5/2) | Maghull Novices Chase |
| 2016 - Sir Valentino Market Rasen - 8th of 16 (14/1) | Summer Plate |
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 Haldon Gold Cup Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
