Gold Cup

mn

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 1963 Grade 1 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 MILL HOUSE G W Robinson Fulke Walwyn Mr W Gollings 7/2 fav
2 FORTRIA Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper (Ire) Mr G Ansley 4/1
3 DUKE OF YORK Fred Winter J Tilling Mr J Tilling 7/1
4 CANNOBIE LEE David Nicholson H Nicholson Mrs A Bancroft 100/1
5 LONGTAIL Leech Curran Mr A Dickinson 20/1
6 OLYMPIA McLoughlin Tom Dreaper (Ire) Lord Donoughmore 100/8
7 ROUGH TWEED Gerry Scott Neville Crump Mr S Green 100/9
8 PRIDE OF IVANHOE P Hewitt S Hewitt Mr S Hewitt 25/1
9 FRENCHMAN'S COVE Stan Mellor Thomson Jones Mr S Joel 11/2
10 CADUVAL L Morgan Maughan Mr B Lubecki 10/1
11 NICOLAUS SILVER Beasley Fred Rimell Mr B Sunley 33/1
12 KING'S NEPHEW Terry Biddlecombe F Cundell Mr A Wood 100/8
        Over round 116%
This race took place on Thursday 14th March 1963 when Mill House beat Fortria and Duke of York by 12 lengths and 4 lengths