Exeter racecourse stages their biggest meeting of the season on Friday, with the 2024 Haldon Gold Cup the feature race at 2:25pm – a race former champion trainer Paul Nicholls has won EIGHT times in the past.
The Ditcheat handler is back for more in 2024, with Sans Bruit one of just six Haldon Gold Cup runners, but despite the small field it still looks a nice little renewal with £59k on offer to the winner.
JPR One Heads A Field Of Just Six For The 2024 Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter
The best horse racing betting sites in the UK have put up JPR One as the one to beat in the 2024 Haldon Gold Cup – making this Joe Tizzard-trained 7 year-old the market leader.
JPR One won on debut here at Exeter back in November 2021 over hurdles and returns to the track for the first time since.
He’s also had a wind operation since his last run, when 7th in the Arkle Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, while he’s also sporting the first-time tongue-tie on here on his horse racing reappearance.
The Tizzard yard won the Haldon Gold Cup 12 months ago too, with Elixir De Nutz and also took the prize in 2021 with Eldorado Allen and in 2012 with the classy Cue Card.
Coming into the race JPR One is also the top-rated in the field (149), but as a result in this handicap has to carry top-weight. Brendan Powell rides.
Of the six Haldon Gold Cup runners, the Joe Tizzard team also run Scarface, who will be ridden by Harry Cobden.
2024 Haldon Gold Cup Runners Listed
- 1. JPR One (Joe Tizzard)
- 2. Djelo (Venetia Williams)
- 3. Heltenham (Dan Skelton)
- 4. Etalon (Dan Skelton)
- 5. Sans Bruit (Paul Nicholls)
- 6. Scarface (Joe Tizzard)
Paul Nicholls Has Won The Haldon Gold Cup Eight Times
No trainer has won the Haldon Gold Cup more times than Paul Nicholls – with eight successes under his belt.
The first came back in 1998 with Lake Kariba and the most recent was Greaneteen in 2022, who also run the 2020 renewal.
Nicholls will be trying to make it nine with the Bryony Frost-ridden Sans Bruit.
This 6 year-old was a top winner of the Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree back in April and despite his age is one of the more experienced in the field over fences – having also raced six times over the bigger obstacles when trained in France.
Paul Nicholls Haldon Gold Cup Winners
- Lake Kariba (1998)
- Flagship Uberalles (1999)
- Azertyuiop (2004)
- Tchico Polos (2010)
- Vibrato Valtat (2015)
- Politologue (2017)
- Greaneteen (2020,2022)
ITV Racing To Show The 2024 Haldon Gold Cup LIVE
With the race being switched in recent years to Friday from Tuesday, this has opened up the doors for ITV Racing to show the Haldon Gold Cup.
That’s the case again in with the free-to-air channel at Exeter to take in four races live on ITV4.
- 1:15 Exeter – ICL, Impact For A Sustainable Future ‘Challenger’ Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Mares Hurdle) Cl4 (4yo+ 0-115) 2m2½f ITV4
- 1:50 Exeter – ICL Conscious Of Our Impact ‘Future Stars’ Silver Bowl Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 3m ITV4
- 2:25 Exeter – Bet MGM Haldon Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 2) (Limited Handicap Chase) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 2m1½f ITV4
- 3:00 Exeter – West Country Weekend Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 2m½f ITV4
Haldon Gold Cup Race Details 2024
📅Date: Friday 8th November 2024
⌚Time: 2:25pm
🏇Racecourse: Exeter
🔄Trip: 2m 1 1/2f
💷Winning Purse: £59,440.00
📺 TV: ITV 4 / Sky Sports Racing
Haldon Gold Cup Trends and Stats
- 22/22 – Priced 10/1 or shorter in the betting
- 20/22 – First run of the new season
- 19/22 – Won a chase race over at least 2m2f before
- 19/22 – Officially rated 150 or higher
- 18/22 – Won at least 3 times over fences before
- 16/22 – Won by a French-bred horse
- 14/22 – Carried 10-9 or more
- 13/22 – Aged 6 or 7 years-old
- 12/22 – Raced at either Aintree (6) or Cheltenham (6) last time out
- 11/22 – Finished in the top 3 last time out
- 10/22 – Won just 3 previous times over fences
- 8/22 – Favourites unplaced
- 7/22 – Favourites
- 6/22 – Trained by Paul Nicholls (8 in total)
- 6/22 – Won over fences at Exeter before
- 5/22 – Carried 11-10
- 5/22 – Aged 7 years-old
- 4/22 – Won their last race
- The average winning SP in the last 22 years is 5/1
Some Big Names Have Won The Haldon Gold Cup Before – Including Best Mate
The Exeter winners’ enclosure after the Haldon Gold Cup has also seen some big names over the years.
In 2017 we had the Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Poltiologue win, while another past Cheltenham Festival winner Cue Card also landed the prize in 2012.
Back in the 90’s the big 2m chasers Waterloo Boy, Viking Flagship and Travado also all won the race at least once.
We also saw the classy Azertyuiop win in 2004 for jockey Ruby Walsh.
While there were two wins for former King George VI Chase winner Edredon Bleu in 2002 and 2003, but arguably the biggest name to win the Haldon Gold Cup was Best Mate – who won the pot in 2001 (watch below).
Haldon Gold Cup Past Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2023 – ELIXIR DE NUIT (13/2)
- 2022 – GREANETEEN (7/2)
- 2021 – ELDORADO ALLEN (9/2)
- 2020 – GREANETEEN (15/8 fav)
- 2019 – JANIKA (5/2 fav)
- 2018 – GOD’S OWN (7/2)
- 2017 – POLITOLOGUE (5/2 fav)
- 2016 – SIR VALENTINO (10/1)
- 2015 – VIBRATO VALTAT (5/2 fav)
- 2014 – GOD’S OWN (8/1)
