Gold Cup
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The Gold Cup, the chasing crown, is a grade 1 race over 3 miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards and 22 fences of the New Course and is open to 5-year-olds and above. Although the first race at Cheltenham known as the Gold Cup was in July 1819, it was a flat race over 3 miles on the Cleeve Hill course and was won by Spectre owned by Mr Bodenham, and the race did continue for a number of years afterwards. However, it has no real connection with the present day pinnacle of National Hunt racing which was first contested on 12th March 1924 over 3 miles 3 furlongs. The race was not staged in 1931 due to frost, nor in 1937 due to flooding, and the Second World War prevented the race being held in both 1943 and 1944. |
| Early history:- The inaugural running of the Gold Cup was on 12th March 1924 over 3 miles 3 furlongs and was won by Red Splash (5/1) owned by Major Humphrey Wyndham, trained by Fred Withington and ridden by Dick Rees, beating Conjuror II (7/1) and Gerald L (5/1). | |
| Gold Cup 1955 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | GAY DONALD | A Grantham | J Ford | Mr P J Burt 33/1 |
| 2 | HALLOWEEN | Fred Winter | W Wightman | Countessa Di Sant Elia 7/2 |
| 3 | FOUR TEN | T Cusack | J Roberts | Mr A Strange 3/1 fav |
| 4 | EARLY MIST | Bryan Marshall | Bryan Marshall | Mr John Dunlop 5/1 |
| 5 | GALLOWAY BRAES | R Morrow | Kilpatrick | Lady Orde 10/1 |
| 6 | BRAMBLE TUDOR | R Curran | Wight | Lord Joicey 6/1 |
| 7 | CRUDWELL | Dick Francis | Frank Cundell | Mrs D M Cooper 25/1 |
| 8 | ROSE PARK | A Freeman | Peter Cazalet | Mr G Lawrence 25/1 |
| 9 | POINTSMAN | T Molony | Kilpatrick | Sir P Orde 100/8 |
| Over round 105% | ||||
| This race took place on Thursday 4th March 1955 when Gay Donald beat Halloween and Four Ten by 10 lengths and 8 lengths | ||||