Al Boum Photo Bidding for A Third Gold Cup Crown Dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo is set to return to the Cheltenham Festival in March as he bids to win the race for a third time.

Willie Mullins’ runner prevailed in the 2019 and 2020 renewals of the Blue Riband event of the meeting. In defending his crown in 2020, he became the first horse since Best Mate in 2004 to win the 3m2f contest in back-to-back years.

A third straight Gold Cup was attempted in 2021, but the Irish-trained horse had to settle for third place behind Minella Indo and A Plus Tard, respectively.

It was another solid performance from the 10-year-old, as his stamina was much stronger than many of the runners in the race.

Al Boum Photo has Cheltenham Gold Cup odds of 8/1 for the race this year.

He has just two horses ahead of him in the ante-post market for the contest, which takes place on the final day of the meeting.

Mullins’ chaser is likely to appear in the betting tips for Cheltenham once again this year, given he is a proven operator in the race.

Along with Minella Indo, he is one of only two former Gold Cup winners set to line up.

Victory In Savills New Year’s Day Chase

Al Boum Photo made his seasonal reappearance in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore for the fourth straight year.

He kept up his 100% record in the Grade Three contest, in what proved to be a comfortable success.

Under the hands of regular rider Paul Townend, the gelding was full of running at the back end of that race, eventually scoring by fourth lengths ahead of stablemate Burrows Saint.

The victory at Tramore was Al Boum Photo’s eighth success over fences.

He has only finished outside of the frame on three occasions as a chaser.

Like his previous three campaigns, the two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner is now set to head straight to the Cheltenham Festival without another run.

A Plus Tard and Galvin Likely to Be Biggest Threat to Al Boum

Photo 2021 runner-up A Plus Tard heads the betting for the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup, a position he has held since winning the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock back in November.

Many pundits believe Henry De Bromhead’s runner will go one place better than he did last March.

A Plus Tard could be the horse Rachael Blackmore chooses to ride.

She will have a tough decision to make between the Haydock winner and the defending champion Minella Indo.

Galvin is a horse who has emerged as a strong Gold Cup contender this season.

He was a winner at the festival last season when he prevailed in the National Hunt Challenge Cup, a race which takes place over the distance of 3m6f.

Gordon Elliott’s runner beat A Plus Tard on their latest outing in the Grade One Savills Chase at Leopardstown.

That result forced the bookmakers to slash the odds of Elliott’s chaser coming out on top at Cheltenham.

This year’s Gold Cup is scheduled to take place on the 18th March.

If Al Boum Photo does prevail, he will become just the fifth horse to win the race three times.