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 1976 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | ROYAL FROLIC | Johnny Burke | Fred Rimell | 14/1 |
| 2 | BROWN LAD | Tommy Carberry | Jim Dreaper (Ire) | Mrs P Burrell 13/8 |
| 3 | COLEBRIDGE | Fran Berry | Jim Dreaper (Ire) | Mrs P Burrell 12/1 |
| 4 | MONEY MARKET | Ron Barry | C Bewicke | Lord Chelsea 33/1 |
| 5 | GLANFORD BRIGG | S Holland | Jack Hardy | Mr P Harper 50/1 |
| 6 | BULA | John Francome | Fred Winter | Captain E Edwards-Heathcote 6/4 fav |
| 7 | FLASHY BOY | Dessie Hughes | A Watson (Ire) | Mr A Watson 16/1 |
| 8 | WHAT A BUCK | Jeff King | David Nicholson | Lord Vestey 16/1 |
| 9 | OTTER WAY | Graham Thorner | O Carter | Mr O Carter 50/1 |
| 10 | THE DIKLER | Ron Barry | Fulke Walwyn | Mrs D W August 33/1 |
| 11 | ROMAN BAR | P Kiely | Pat Taaffe (Ire) | Mrs D O'Sullivan 50/1 |
| Over round 109% | ||||
| This race took place on Thursday 18th March 1976 when Royal Frolic beat Brown Lad and Colebridge by 5 lengths and 5 lengths | ||||