Fact File: Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup

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 — Subscribe on YouTube: Website: Twitter: & Facebook: Apple Podcasts: SoundCloud:
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