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 2002 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | BEST MATE | Jim Culloty | Henrietta Knight | Mr Jim Lewis 7/1 |
| 2 | COMMANCHE COURT | Ruby Walsh | Ted Walsh (Ire) | Mr D F Desmond 25/1 |
| 3 | SEE MORE BUSINESS | Joe Tizzard | Paul Nicholls | Sir Robert Ogden 40/1 |
| 4 | MARLBOROUGH | Dean Gallagher | Nicky Henderson | Sir Robert Ogden 12/1 |
| 5 | WHATS UP BOYS | Paul W Flynn | Philip Hobbs | R J B Partners 33/1 |
| 6 | ALEXANDER BANQUET | Barry Geraghty | Willie Mullins (Ire) | Mrs N O'Callaghan 12/1 |
| 7 | MOSCOW EXPRESS | J R Barry | Ms F M Crowley | Mr John Carr 66/1 |
| 8 | CYFOR MALTA | Rodi Greene | Martin Pipe | The Johnson Family 25/1 |
| 9 | FOXCHAPEL KING | David Casey | Mouse Morris | Sir Anthony O'Reilly 12/1 |
| 10 | LORD NOELIE | Richard Guest | Henrietta Knight | Executive Racing 16/1 |
| 11 | FLORIDA PEARL | Conor O'Dwyer | Willie Mullins (Ire) | Mrs Violet O'Leary 10/1 |
| 12 | BACCHANAL | Mick Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson | Lady Lloyd-Webber 6/1 |
| 13 | LOOKS LIKE TROUBLE | Richard Johnson | Noel Chance | Mr T Collins 9/2 fav |
| 14 | SACKVILLE | John Cullen | Ms F M Crowley | Seamus O'Farrall 33/1 |
| 15 | GO BALLISTIC | Carl Llewellyn | Henrietta Knight | Mrs B J Lockhart 66/1 |
| 16 | SHOOTING LIGHT | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe | J M Brown, M J Blackburn 10/1 |
| 17 | BEHRAJAN | Norman Williamson | Henry Daly | The Behrajan Partnership 11/1 |
| 18 | SHOTGUN WILLY | Timmy Murphy | Paul Nicholls | Mr C G Roach 25/1 |
| Over round 124% | ||||
| This race was held on Thursday 14th March 2002 when Best Mate beat Commanche Court and See More Business by 1 3/4 lengths and 8 lengths | ||||