(Newswire.net — February 24, 2022) — After the 2021 Cheltenham Festival took place behind closed doors, attention turns to Prestbury Park reopening its gates to spectators next month – and there’s no denying that this year’s meeting is hotly anticipated by fans and connections alike.
While the Festival is the pinnacle of the jump racing season, its Blue Riband event, the Gold Cup, is the one that everyone wants to win. For those that choose to bet on horses, it can be a difficult one to predict – but it’s the race that has seen many names etched in folklore.
But what is it that makes the Gold Cup so special?
Prestige
The Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in the UK – with a prize purse that can surpass £500,000. It’s not just the money on offer though. For jockeys and trainers alike, it’s the stature of winning a race of this kind – and riding or training a Gold Cup winner is often the peak of a career.
Steeped in history, the Gold Cup was inaugurated in 1924 and has since boasted iconic winners including Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate, and Kauto Star. Such is its prestige, it’s a race that features the best horses in the sport – which is what makes it so thrilling to the spectator.
Unpredictable
While Al Boum Photo made back-to-back wins in the Gold Cup in 2020 – running out as the favorite at odds of 100/30 – it’s not often that the bookies get it right. In the last 12 editions of the iconic race, only four of the winners were either the favorite or joint-favorite: Long Run (2011), Bobs Worth (2013), Don Cossack (2016), and of course, Al Boum Photo.
Form often goes out of the window – and again, looking at the last 12 winners of the Gold Cup, only half had previously won at Cheltenham prior to landing the Blue Riband race. However, looking at seasonal stats, the majority of horses won at least one race at Grade 1 level, prior to entering the Gold Cup.
Records
Much like any other race, or even within any other sport, there are records that have withstood the test of time – some that may also never be beaten. For example, in the 1930s, Golden Miller, owned by Dorothy Paget, won five consecutive Gold Cup races – between 1932 and 1936. Both Arkle and Best Mate have managed a trio of wins each since then – but no other entry has come close.
Going back to 1990, Norton’s Coin pulled off the biggest upset – winning from the longest odds of 100/1. Up against the reigning champions – and favorite – Desert Orchid, the Graham McCourt thoroughbred won by three-quarters of a length.
While in 1983, trainer Michael Dickinson was responsible for the first five horses to finish – another feat which is unlikely to be equaled or surpassed. Bregawn took home the honor that year.
Legend
Following on from those that have made or broken records, winning the Gold Cup has elevated the status of many a horse – as well as the jockey, or trainer. As the most prestigious of all National Hunt races, the roll of honor includes the names of many legendary chasers. The record held by Golden Miller has already been mentioned, but in the last 20 years, names such as Kauto Star and Al Boum Photo have made the headlines.
In fact, it was the 2019 and 2020 winners who landed legendary trainer Willie Mullins his first Gold Cup wins. The Irishman may have been the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, but prior to Al Boum Photos victories, had not secured the iconic race – his best result, second place, on no fewer than six occasions.
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It’s also the sense of occasion which sets the Cheltenham Gold Cup apart from other races. While the iconic Cheltenham roar sounds around Prestbury Park when the meeting gets underway with the opening race, it is fitting that the Gold Cup is decided on the final day – when the crowds are equally as strong. You can’t help but get excited – and with such a rich and prestigious history, the Gold Cup will remain Cheltenham’s most iconic race for years to come.