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 1997 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | MR MULLIGAN | Tony McCoy | Noel Chance | Michael & Gerry Worcester 20/1 |
| 2 | BARTON BANK | D Walsh | David Nicholson | Mrs Jenny Mould 33/1 |
| 3 | DORANS PRIDE | J P Broderick | Michael Hourigan (Ire) | Mr T J Doran 10/1 |
| 4 | GO BALLISTIC | Tony Dobbin | John O'Shea | Mrs B J Lockhart 50/1 |
| 5 | CHALLENGER DU LUC | Chris Maude | Martin Pipe | The Johnson Family 16/1 |
| 6 | ONE MAN | Richard Dunwoody | Gordon Richards | Mr John Hales 7/1 |
| 7 | COOME HILL | Jamie Osborne | W W Dennis | Mrs Jill Dennis 15/2 |
| 8 | CYBORGO | Charlie Swan | Martin Pipe | County Stores Somerset 12/1 |
| 9 | DANOLI | Tommy Treacy | Thomas Foley (Ire) | Mr D J O'Neill 7/1 |
| 10 | UNGUIDED MISSILE | Norman Williamson | Gordon Richards | Mr D E Harrison 16/1 |
| 11 | DUBLIN FLYER | Brendan Powell snr | Tim Forster | Mr J B Sumner 8/1 |
| 12 | IMPERIAL CALL | Conor O'Dwyer | Fergus Sutherland | Lisselan Farms 4/1 fav |
| 13 | NAHTHEN LAD | Rodney Farrant | Mrs Jenny Pitman | Mrs Pearl Hemmings 20/1 |
| 14 | BANJO | David Bridgwater | David Nicholson | Mr Darren Mercer 33/1 |
| Over round 114% | ||||
| This race was held on Thursday 13th March 1997 when Mr Mulligan beat Barton Bank and Dorans Pride by 9 lengths and 1/2 length | ||||