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 1989 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | DESERT ORCHID | Simon Sherwood | David Elsworth | Mr Richard Burridge 5/2 fav |
| 2 | YAHOO | T Morgan | J A C Edwards | Mr Alan Parker 25/1 |
| 3 | CHARTER PARTY | Richard Dunwoody | David Nicholson | Mrs Jenny Mould 14/1 |
| 4 | BONANZA BOY | Peter Scudamore | Martin Pipe | News International 15/2 |
| 5 | WEST TIP | Peter Hobbs | M Oliver | Mr Peter Luff 66/1 |
| 6 | BALLYHANE | Richard Rowe | Josh Gifford | Mr H J Joel 50/1 |
| 7 | TEN PLUS | Kevin Mooney | Fulke Walwyn | Mr L B Thwaites 11/2 |
| 8 | SLALOM | John White | Michael Robinson | Mrs M J Russell 33/1 |
| 9 | THE THINKER | Chris Grant | Willie Stephenson | Mr T P M McDonagh 15/2 |
| 10 | GOLDEN FREEZE | Bredan Sheridan | Jumbo Wilkinson | Mr G R Orchard 16/1 |
| 11 | CARVILL'S HILL | K Morgan | Jim Dreaper (Ire) | Mrs J McMorrow 5/1 |
| 12 | PEGWELL BAY | Carl Llewellyn | Tim Forster | Major A K Barlow 25/1 |
| 13 | CAVVIES CLOWN | R Arnott | David Elsworth | Mrs J Olivant 8/1 |
| Over round 122% | ||||
| This race was held on Thursday 16th March 1989 when Desert Orchid beat Yahoo and Cavvies Clown by 1 1/2 lengths and 8 lengths | ||||