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Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup Facts & Figures
09/01/13

Michael O'Leary, Connor O'Dwyer and
War of Attrition - winners in 2006

The Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain. The total prize money for the 2013 running will be a record £550,000, up from £50,000 from last year. The first Cheltenham Gold Cup was a three-mile Flat race in 1819, won by Mr Bodenham’s Spectre. The chase as we now know it was introduced in 1924, with Red Splash successful. The winning prize money was £700.

BIGGEST FIELD
The joint biggest Gold Cup field ever was in 2006 when 22 runners went to post. Since the race was first run in 1924, there has only been one other renewal with more than 20 runners - in 1982 when Silver Buck defeated 21 rivals. The current maximum field allowed is 24.

MULTIPLE WINNERS
In the Gold Cup's history only seven horses have won more than once, the most recent of them is Kauto Star, who took the spoils in 2007 and 2009 and is the only horse to regain the Gold Cup. The others were Best Mate (2002/03/04), L'Escargot (1970/71), Arkle (1964/65/66), Cottage Rake (1948/49/50), Golden Miller (1932/33/34/35/36) and Easter Hero (1929/30). Golden Miller holds the record for the most Gold Cup victories, with five consecutive wins from 1932-36.

Kicking King won in 2005
© racing-images.co.uk

MOST SUCCESSFUL OWNER Golden Miller’s owner, Dorothy Paget, is also the most successful owner in the race having enjoyed an amazing seven victories, with Roman Hackle (1940) and Mont Tremblant (1952) adding to Golden Miller’s five wins.

MOST SUCCESSFUL TRAINER
The most successful trainer is Tom Dreaper, who won five Gold Cups with three separate horses, namely Prince Regent (1946), Arkle (1964, 1965 and 1966) and Fort Leney (1968). Paul Nicholls is the most successful current handler with four wins from three separate horses - See More Business (1999), Kauto Star (2007 & 2009) and Denman (2008).

MOST SUCCESSFUL JOCKEY
The most successful jockey is Pat Taaffe, who recorded four victories on Arkle (1964, 1965 & 1966) and Fort Leney (1968). The two most successful current jockeys are A P (Tony) McCoy and Ruby Walsh, who both have two wins. McCoy scored on Mr Mulligan (1997) and Synchronised (2012), while Walsh was on board Kauto Star (2007 & 2009).

RIDDEN & TRAINED WINNER
Three winning jockeys went on train the Gold Cup winner.

MARES
A total of four mares have won the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup – Ballinode (1925), Kerstin (1958), Glencaraig Lady (1972) and Dawn Run (1986).

Desert Orchid - winner in 1989
© racing-images.co.uk

BETTING
The longest-priced winner was Norton’s Coin, who started at 100/1 in 1990, while the shortestpriced winner was Arkle, the 1/10 favourite in 1966. In the 84 runnings, 28 favourites have won (just over 33 per cent).

GREYS
The only grey Gold Cup winner was Desert Orchid in 1989.

AGE
The breakdown of winners by age is as follows:
5yo - 3 victories
6yo - 5 victories
7yo - 16 victories
8yo - 18 victories
9yo - 24 victories
10yo - 11 victories
11yo - 5 victories
12yo - 2 victories

OVERSEAS-TRAINED WINNERS
22 winners of the Gold Cup have been trained overseas.

IRELAND (21): Ballinode (1925), Prince Regent (1946), Cottage Rake (1948, 1949, 1950), Knock Hard (1953), Roddy Owen (1959), Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966), Fort Leney (1968), L’Escargot (1970, 1971), Glencaraig Lady (1972), Captain Christy (1974), Ten Up (1975), Davy Lad (1977), Dawn Run (1986), Imperial Call (1996), Kicking King (2005), War Of Attrition (2006).

FRANCE (1): The Fellow (1994).

GOLD CUP/CHAMPION HURDLE DOUBLE
Dawn Run is the only horse to have won both the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup. She was successful in 1984 and 1986 respectively.

FASTEST TIME
The fastest winning time is 6 minutes 29.7 seconds, set by Long Run in 2011.

DID YOU KNOW?
A P McCoy’s Stan James Champion Hurdle/Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup double in 1997 on Make A Stand and Mr Mulligan was the 11th time that the big-race double has been landed by one jockey in the same year. The other jockeys to have achieved the feat were Dick Rees (1929), Tom Cullinan (1930), Ted Leader (1932), Bill Stott (1933), Gerry Wilson (1935), Aubrey Brabazon (1949 and 1950), Tim Molony (1953), Fred Winter (1961) and Norman Williamson (1995).

Alderbrook and Master Oats in 1995 enabled Norman Williamson and Kim Bailey to join a very select group of jockey and trainer partnerships who have won both the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup in the same year. The other partnerships were Tommy Cullinan and Jack Anthony in 1930, Ted Leader and Basil Briscoe in 1932, Bill Stott and Basil Briscoe in 1933, and Aubrey Brabazon and Vincent O’Brien in both 1949 and 1950.

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