Fact File: Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup - (2026)

Updated: 22/03/2026

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the feature race on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival

The Grade 1 race is run over a distance of three miles, two and a half furlongs, with 22 fences to be jumped

The richest non-handicap chase in Britain, it is often labelled the ‘Blue Riband’ of jump racing

In 1819, a flat race called ‘The Cheltenham Gold Cup’ was held on the top of Cleeve Hill

The present Gold Cup was inaugurated in 1924, but at that time the National Hunt Chase was still considered more prestigious

Golden Miller won the race five times from 1932 to 1936

The remarkable horse also won the Grand National in 1934

Arkle won the Gold Cup three times (1964, ‘65, ‘66)

He started the 1966 race at odds of 1/10, the shortest winning odds in the race’s history

Trainer Michael Dickinson saddled the first five horses home in 1983 – Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House

The mare Dawn Run remains the only horse to win both the Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle

Norton’s Coin was the longest-priced winner; he won at 100/1 in 1990

Best Mate is one of four horses to win the race three or more times (2002, ‘03, ‘04)

Kauto Star made history in 2009, when he became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup, having previously won in 2007

Coneygree (2015) was the first novice to win since Captain Christy in 1974

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