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 1983 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | BREGAWN | Graham Bradley | Michael Dickinson | Mr J Kennelly 100/30 fav |
| 2 | CAPTAIN JOHN | Peter Scudamore | Michael Dickinson | Mr F Emem 11/1 |
| 3 | WAYWARD LAD | Jonjo O'Neill | Michael Dickinson | Mrs S Thewlis 6/1 |
| 4 | SILVER BUCK | Robert Earnshaw | Michael Dickinson | Mrs C Feather 8/1 |
| 5 | ASHLEY HOUSE | Mr Dermot Browne | Michael Dickinson | Mr J McLoughlin 12/1 |
| 6 | RICHDEE | Chris Hawkins | Nevelle Crump | Miss C Dalzell 40/1 |
| 7 | COMBS DITCH | Colin Brown | David Elsworth | Mr R Tory 9/2 |
| 8 | FIFTY DOLLARS MORE | Richard Linley | Fred Winter | Sheikh Ali Abu Khamsin 8/1 |
| 9 | BROWN CHAMBERLIN | John Francome | Fred Winter | Mrs B Samuel 10/1 |
| 10 | MIDNIGHT LOVE | Chris Grant | Denys Smith | Carpenters Paints Ltd 66/1 |
| 11 | WHIGGIE GEO | Mr N Tutty | Miss J Sanderson | Mr A Sanderson 500/1 |
| Over round 106% | ||||
| This race took place on Thursday 17th March 1983 when Bregawn beat Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House by 5 lengths, 1 1/2, a distance, 25 lengths achieving an unprecedented and unequalled first 5 places for trainer Michael Dickinson | ||||