You will unlock Chocobo Racing about halfway through the main story in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but you won’t have access to all of it until Chapter 12. That is when you’ll unlock more races, as well as a quest that centers around the minigame. This quest, called Gold Cup or Bust, will also require you to do Esoteric Secrets of the Elders, a quest that pops up in Chapter 11. This page will detail where to start Gold Cup or Bust, as well as give tips and tricks for the Gold Cup race.
Billy will be waiting for you at the Chocobo Square.
Where to Start Gold Cup or Bust¶
As mentioned above, you will first need to be in Chapter 12 of the main story, but you will also need to complete the Esoteric Secrets of the Elders quest from Chapter 11. The latter is found in the 
Nibel Region and shouldn’t take too long, although you will have to do a little racing there. Once you have fulfilled the conditions above, head to the Chocobo Square in the 
Gold Saucer to find Billy, who will be standing there with the familiar green marker over his head.
He says that you’ve been invited to be in the Gold Cup, which is the biggest race. Note that while you may be invited, you will still need to reach the Gold Jockey Rank to participate. This will simply require you to get first place in three Silver-ranked races. Two can be found at the end of the Grade III Chocobo Races, with more being found in the Grade II set.
(1 of 3) You will need to be at Gold (or Legend) rank in order to participate in the Gold Cup.
How to Win the Gold Cup Chocobo Races¶
Unlike the Grade III and II sets of races, the Gold Cup is a little different. Instead of being one-off races, the Gold Cup will be a set of three races, where you receive points for finishing, depending on your placement. After all three races are done, the racer with the highest points will be declared the winner. The best thing to do is finish first in all three races, which will be a flawless victory. If you feel like you won’t be able to finish first, then you can simply pause the game and select “Retry,” which will put you back at the start of the current race.
Piko is probably the best Chocobo to use here, simply because of the 
Speed Burst ability. You are welcome to use any Chocobo you want, though, so don’t worry if you pick another option.
(1 of 2) The first race will have a large number of Cactuar Gates.
The first race will have a large number of Cactuar Gates. (left), Use the ramp shown here in the first race to get a little shortcut over the following turn. (right)
The Gold Cup - 1st Leg¶
The first portion of the lap will be the hardest, as there are plenty of 
Cactuar Gates in your way. These are definitely one of the most annoying obstacles since you never really know when one set will close and the other will open. There will also be 
Bomb Balloons in between the first sets of gates, so be careful not to hit those. If you can make it past those, then the rest of the course is fairly simple. Once you get to the “outside” portion, there will be a ramp you can go off of, which allows you to float past the upcoming turn and is kind of a mini-shortcut.
The Gold Cup - 2nd Leg¶
For the second race, the main obstacle you will see is the golden orbs on spinning poles. There will be quite a few of these, along with those bumpers in between, so you’ll need to be a little more careful. Zig zag through the first set of spinning orbs, then use the ramps to get past the second set. From there, the race is mostly simple, until the final stretch of the lap. You will have spinning discs on the ground, as well as more spinning orbs. It’s probably best to go to the right on the first disc, and then to the left on the second one.
(1 of 4) The second race will have a large number of spinning orbs.
The Gold Cup - 3rd Leg¶
The third race will be the toughest, simply because the track is quite challenging. There will be two Cactuar Gates near the beginning, which are always a pain, but the rest of the race isn’t too special. There are more sharp turns on this track than on the previous two legs, but the biggest problem will come near the end. You will come across some very sharp turns here, without any railings, so it can be a bit easy to fall off the track.
For winning the Gold Cup, you will receive a Chocoking’s Cape accessory, as well as 200 Gold Saucer Points. Additionally, your affection with Tifa will increase, and you’ll get the usual Party and character EXP.
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