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Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards, or 5,294 m), and during its running there are 22 fences to be jumped. The race takes place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The steeplechase, which is open to horses aged five years and over, is the most prestigious of all National Hunt events and it is sometimes referred to as the Blue Riband of jump-racing. Its roll of honour features the names of such chasers as Arkle, Best Mate, Golden Miller, Kauto Star, Denman and Mill House. The Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain, and in 2025 it offered a total prize fund of £625,000.
The first horse race known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup took place in July 1819. It was a flat race, and it was contested over 3 miles on Cleeve Hill, which overlooks the present venue. The inaugural winner, Spectre, won a prize of 100 guineas for his owner Mr Bodenham.
The founding of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was an important event in the history of National Hunt racing. In the early 1920s there were very few valuable weight-for-age steeplechases. Apart from the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and the Champion Chase at Liverpool all the most important races were handicaps. Some people thought this was not in the best interests of the sport, so the Gold Cup was founded to redress the balance to a certain degree. It is not sure who had the idea for the Gold Cup, but it may have been Mr F.H. Cathcart, the Chairman of the Cheltenham Executive. It took a while for the prestige of the Gold Cup to grow, but it is now regarded as the true championship race for staying chasers.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run as a steeplechase on 12 March 1924, over 3 miles 3 furlongs, for five year olds and upwards, with five year olds carrying 11 st 4 lbs, and the remainder 12 st. The race was covered by Pathe News. A prize of £685 was awarded to the owner of the winning horse. This was considerably less valuable than the National Hunt Chase, which was still regarded as the most important race of the meeting. The weather at Cheltenham for that first Gold Cup was mild and springlike. Among the spectators was the Prince of Wales, a friend of Harry Brown who was riding Conjuror II. There was an exciting finish, with Major E.H. Wyndham's five year old, Red Splash, 5/1, ridden by Dick Rees and trained by Fred Withington, beating Conjuror II by a head, with Gerald L a neck away third. Forewarned, ridden by Jack Anthony, was the 3/1 favourite. Red Splash appeared to have a great future, but he was difficult to train and never again ran in the Gold Cup.
The event originally took place on what is now the "Old Course" at Cheltenham. In its early years it was overshadowed at the Festival by another race, the National Hunt Chase and was worth less in prize money than the County Handicap Hurdle which had a purse of £1,000.
The Gold Cup was abandoned in 1931 (because of frost) and 1937 (flooding), but the five intervening years saw the emergence of the most successful horse in the event's history. All five races from 1932 to 1936 were won by Golden Miller, who also won the Grand National in 1934.
During World War II, the Gold Cup was cancelled twice, in 1943 and 1944. The first multiple winner in the post-war era was Cottage Rake, who won the three runnings from 1948 to 1950. Cottage Rake was trained in Ireland by Vincent O'Brien, and his successes helped to popularise the Gold Cup, and the Festival itself, with the Irish public.
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Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards, or 5,294 m), and during its running there are 22 fences to be jumped. The race takes place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The steeplechase, which is open to horses aged five years and over, is the most prestigious of all National Hunt events and it is sometimes referred to as the Blue Riband of jump-racing. Its roll of honour features the names of such chasers as Arkle, Best Mate, Golden Miller, Kauto Star, Denman and Mill House. The Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain, and in 2025 it offered a total prize fund of £625,000.
The first horse race known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup took place in July 1819. It was a flat race, and it was contested over 3 miles on Cleeve Hill, which overlooks the present venue. The inaugural winner, Spectre, won a prize of 100 guineas for his owner Mr Bodenham.
The founding of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was an important event in the history of National Hunt racing. In the early 1920s there were very few valuable weight-for-age steeplechases. Apart from the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and the Champion Chase at Liverpool all the most important races were handicaps. Some people thought this was not in the best interests of the sport, so the Gold Cup was founded to redress the balance to a certain degree. It is not sure who had the idea for the Gold Cup, but it may have been Mr F.H. Cathcart, the Chairman of the Cheltenham Executive. It took a while for the prestige of the Gold Cup to grow, but it is now regarded as the true championship race for staying chasers.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run as a steeplechase on 12 March 1924, over 3 miles 3 furlongs, for five year olds and upwards, with five year olds carrying 11 st 4 lbs, and the remainder 12 st. The race was covered by Pathe News. A prize of £685 was awarded to the owner of the winning horse. This was considerably less valuable than the National Hunt Chase, which was still regarded as the most important race of the meeting. The weather at Cheltenham for that first Gold Cup was mild and springlike. Among the spectators was the Prince of Wales, a friend of Harry Brown who was riding Conjuror II. There was an exciting finish, with Major E.H. Wyndham's five year old, Red Splash, 5/1, ridden by Dick Rees and trained by Fred Withington, beating Conjuror II by a head, with Gerald L a neck away third. Forewarned, ridden by Jack Anthony, was the 3/1 favourite. Red Splash appeared to have a great future, but he was difficult to train and never again ran in the Gold Cup.
The event originally took place on what is now the "Old Course" at Cheltenham. In its early years it was overshadowed at the Festival by another race, the National Hunt Chase and was worth less in prize money than the County Handicap Hurdle which had a purse of £1,000.
The Gold Cup was abandoned in 1931 (because of frost) and 1937 (flooding), but the five intervening years saw the emergence of the most successful horse in the event's history. All five races from 1932 to 1936 were won by Golden Miller, who also won the Grand National in 1934.
During World War II, the Gold Cup was cancelled twice, in 1943 and 1944. The first multiple winner in the post-war era was Cottage Rake, who won the three runnings from 1948 to 1950. Cottage Rake was trained in Ireland by Vincent O'Brien, and his successes helped to popularise the Gold Cup, and the Festival itself, with the Irish public.