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 1986 Grade 1 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 DAWN RUN Jonjo O'Neill Paddy Mullins (Ire) Mrs Charmian Hill 15/8 fav
2 WAYWARD LAD Graham Bradley Mrs Monica Dickinson Mrs S Thewlis 8/1
3 FORGIVE 'N' FORGET Mark Dwyer Jimmy Fitzgerald Kilroe & Sons Ltd 7/2
4 RUN AND SKIP Steve Smith-Eccles Spearing Mr J McCarthy 15/2
5 RIGHTHAND MAN Robert Earnshaw Mrs Monica Dickinson Mrs M Haggass 25/1
6 OBSERVE J Duggan Fred Winter R E A Bott Wigmore Street 50/1
7 COMBS DITCH Colin Brown David Elsworth Mr R Tory 9/2
8 EARLS BRIG Phil Tuck W Hamilton Mr W Hamilton 25/1
9 VON TRAPPE Richard Dunwoody M Oliver Mr P Clarke 25/1
10 CYBRANDIAN Alan Brown M H Easterby Mr I Bray 20/1
11 CASTLE ANDREA G Mernagh D Jeffries Mr D Jeffries 500/1
        Over round 117%
This race took place on Thursday 13th March 1986 when Dawn Run beat Wayward Lad and Forgive 'N' Forget by 1 length and 2 1/2 lengths