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 2003 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | BEST MATE | Jim Culloty | Henrietta Knight | Mr Jim Lewis 13/8 fav |
| 2 | TRUCKERS TAVERN | Davy Russell | Ferdy Murphy (Ire) | Mrs M B Scholey 33/1 |
| 3 | HARBOUR PILOT | Paul Carberry | Noel Meade (Ire) | Kays Syndicate 40/1 |
| 4 | VALLEY HENRY | Barry Geraghty | Paul Nicholls | R Gurney & M Tracey 14/1 |
| 5 | BEHRAJAN | Richard Johnson | Henry Daly | The Behrajan Partnership 14/1 |
| 6 | COMMANCHE COURT | Ruby Walsh | Ted Walsh (Ire) | Mr D F Desmond 8/1 |
| 7 | CHIVES | Richard Guest | Henrietta Knight | Mr Trevor Hemmings 25/1 |
| 8 | SEE MORE BUSINESS | Joe Tizzard | Paul Nicholls | Paul Barber, Sir Robert Ogden 16/1 |
| 9 | YOU'RE AGOODUN | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe | A C Kemp, Miss H Irving 50/1 |
| 10 | COLONEL BRAXTON | K A Kelly | D Hughes (Ire) | Mrs John Magnier 33/1 |
| 11 | MARLBOROUGH | Mick Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson | Sir Robert Ogden 20/1 |
| 12 | MODULOR | Rodi Greene | Martin Pipe | Mr F G Wilson 200/1 |
| 13 | BEEF OR SALMON | Timmy Murphy | Michael Hourigan (Ire) | Mr B J Craig 5/1 |
| 14 | FIRST GOLD | Thiery Doumen | Francois Doumen | Mr John P McManus 33/1 |
| 15 | HUSSARD COLLOGNES | Russ Garritty | Peter Beaumont | Mr N W A Bannister 8/1 |
| Over round 119% | ||||
| This race was held on Thursday 13th March 2003 when Best Mate beat Truckers Tavern and Harbour Pilot by 10 lengths and 2 1/2 lengths | ||||