Glengouly and Sean Bowen lead the field home

Greatwood Gold Cup statistics and big-race tip for Newbury

By Robbie Lee

Horse Racing

Fri February 27, 2026 · 1h ago

Robbie Lee found the winner of the Grand National Trial at Haydock recently and is back with a look at the key clues for Newbury's Greatwood Gold Cup.

BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase - 15:45 Newbury

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Newbury hosts a seven-race card on Saturday with the main interest being the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase at 15:45, run over two and a half miles.

Last year, we saw one of the finishes of the season in this race as Booster Bob won under an extraordinary Sean Bowen ride. The pair were detached from the field and looked to be struggling a long way out, but the gelding came from last to first to win remarkably for Olly Murphy.

This year we have a final field of 11 runners taking their chance in the £80,000 contest. The market leader is Vincenzo for the Dylan Johnston, Sam Thomas partnership, the horse last seen at Ascot 42 days ago winning a big pot. The run prior to that, he was second behind Glengouly in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

The 2024 winner of the race, Heltenham, is back for the Skelton team and Charlie Todd has the job to try and regain the nine-year-old’s crown. Paul Nicholls has Twinjets taking his place under top weight, last seen unseating Harry Cobden at Cheltenham but he won a £50,000 contest over course and distance before that. Another intriguing runner is the class-dropping Blow Your Wad, his last run was in the Grade-One Ascot Chase when third behind Jonbon and Pic D’orhy.

KEY STATS TO NOTE

Eight of the last ten winners have been aged seven or eight;
Only two of the last ten winners were market leaders, the last favourite to win was 2015 when Sound Investment won priced 7/2;
Paul Nicholls has won it nine times, making him the most successful trainer in this race - he last won it in 2019 with San Benedeto under Nick Scholfield.

Horse to follow in the race

GLENGOULY (Faye Bramley, Caoilin Quinn)

The ten-year-old GLENGOULY has been a very important horse for the upcoming trainer Faye Bramley. He put in an outstanding performance in the Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Cheltenham to win the £125,000 contest at 33/1, when 7lb out of the handicap. He made all under Sean Bowen to beat Vincenzo by one and a half lengths that day, jumping smartly and finding plenty after the last to fend off the Sam Thomas-trained runner. Bramley’s gelding was pulled-up last time out having been unsuited by the good ground on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham.

Currently running from a mark of 131, he is still 13lb lower than when with Willie Mullins and that may be evidence he is still a well handicapped horse. Caoilin Quinn takes the ride and will be looking to deploy the front-running tactics which have been used successfully. Glengouly meets Vincenzo on the same terms again (both horses three pounds higher since Cheltenham) and if the ground remains on the softer side, there is every reason to believe he can run another big race. Freshened up after a two-month break, he looks a great bet at a general 16/1 (18s in a place).

Published at 14:55 GMT on 27/02/26

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