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 2008 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | DENMAN | Sam Thomas | Paul Nicholls | Paul Barber & Mrs M Findlay 9/4 |
| 2 | KAUTO STAR | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls | Mr Clive D Smith 10/11 fav |
| 3 | NEPTUNE COLLOGNES | Mick Fitzgerald | Paul Nicholls | Mr John Hales 25/1 |
| 4 | HALCON GENELARDIAS | Robert Thornton | Alan King | Mr I Payne 16/1 |
| 5 | EXOTIC DANCER | Tony McCoy | Jonjo O'Neill | Sir Robert Ogden 17/2 |
| 6 | KNOWHERE | Paddy Brennan | Nigel Twiston-Davies | Mr H R Mould 25/1 |
| 7 | AFISTFULLOFDOLLARS | Paul Carberry | Noel Meade (Ire) | McElroy, Magnier, Shanahan 20/1 |
| 8 | CONTRABAND | T J Dreaper | Paul Murphy (Ire) | Mr J B Shears 200/1 |
| 9 | FUSTRIEN DE PAON | Anthony Lecordier | R Chotard | Mr F G Wilson 250/1 |
| 10 | AZULEJO | Tom Scudamore | Michael Scudamore | J E & T J Wilson 200/1 |
| 11 | CELESTIAL GOLD | Timmy Murphy | David Pipe | The Johnson Family 100/1 |
| 12 | IRON MAN | Denis O'Regan | Peter Bowen | Roddy Owen, Paul Fullagar 100/1 |
| Over round 116% | ||||
| This race was held on Friday 14th March 2008 when Denman beat Kauto Star and Neptune Collognes by 7 lengths and a short head | ||||