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 1981 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | LITTLE OWL | Jim Wilson | M H Easterby | Mr R Wilson 6/1 |
| 2 | NIGHT NURSE | Alan Brown | M H Easterby | Mr Reg Spencer 6/1 |
| 3 | SILVER BUCK | Tommy Carmody | Michael Dickinson | Mrs C Feather 7/2 fav |
| 4 | SPARTAN MISSILE | Mr John Thorne | M J Thorne | Mr M J Thorne 33/1 |
| 5 | DIAMOND EDGE | Bill Smith | Fulke Walwyn | Mr S Loughridge 16/1 |
| 6 | JACK OF TRUMPS | Niall Madden | Edward O'Grady (Ire) | Mr John P McManus 7/1 |
| 7 | TIED COTTAGE | Tommy Carberry | Mrs J Moore (Ire) | Mrs D Price 15/2 |
| 8 | ROYAL BOND | T McGivern | Arthur Moore (Ire) | Mrs G Malcolmson 10/1 |
| 9 | MIDNIGHT COURT | John Francome | Fred Winter | Mrs O Jackson 14/1 |
| 10 | CHINRULLAH | Peter Scudamore | Mick O'Toole | Mrs R Eastwood 33/1 |
| 11 | APPROACHING | Bob Champion | Josh Gifford | Major Dominic Wigan 33/1 |
| 12 | FAIR VIEW | Ron Barry | G Fairbairn | Mr M Shone 100/1 |
| 13 | RAFFI NELSON | Steve Smith-Eccles | Nicky Henderson | Mrs P Fry 100/1 |
| 14 | ROYAL JUDGEMENT | Richard Rowe | Josh Gifford | Lady Rootes 100/1 |
| 15 | SO AND SO | Mr D Gray | Y Porzier | Mr D Samuel 100/1 |
| Over round 109% | ||||
| This race took place on Thursday 19th March 1981 when Little Owl beat Night Nurse and Silver Buck by 1 1/2 lengths and 10 lengths | ||||