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 1978 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | MIDNIGHT COURT | John Francome | Fred Winter | Mrs D Jackson 5/2 |
| 2 | BROWN LAD | Tommy Carberry | Jim Dreaper (Ire) | Mrs P Burrell 8/1 |
| 3 | MASTER H | Reg Crank | H M Oliver | Mr W Davies 18/1 |
| 4 | BACHELOR'S HALL | Martin O'Halloran | P Cundell | Mr P Harris 7/1 |
| 5 | FORT DEVON | Bill Smith | Fulke Walwyn | Mr C Bird jnr 2/1 fav |
| 6 | CANCELLO | Denis Atkins | Neville Crump | Major W Burden 45/1 |
| 7 | ROYAL FROLIC | John Burke | Fred Rimell | Sir J Hanmer 11/1 |
| 8 | FORT FOX | T McGivern | J Cox (Ire) | Mrs G McKey 20/1 |
| 9 | OTTER WAY | Jeff King | O Carter | Mr O Carter 50/1 |
| 10 | FOREST KING | Ron Barry | Hogg | Mr K W Hogg 80/1 |
| Over round 108% | ||||
| This race took place on Thursday 16th March 1978 when Midnight Court beat Brown Lad and Master H by 7 lengths and 1 length | ||||