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 1980 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | TIED COTTAGE | Tommy Carberry | D Moore (Ire) | Mr A Robinson 13/2 |
| 2 | MASTER SMUDGE | R Hoare | Arthur Barrow | Mr Arthur Barrow 14/1 |
| 3 | MAC VIDI | Paul Leach | Miss P Neal | Miss P Neal 66/1 |
| 4 | APPROACHING | B R Davies | Josh Gifford | Major Dominic Wigan 11/1 |
| 5 | CHINRULLAH | Fran Berry | Mick O'Toole (Ire) | Mrs R Eastwood 9/1 |
| 6 | THE SNIPE | A Webber | Webber | Mr G Richmond-Watson 66/1 |
| 7 | DIAMOND EDGE | Bill Smith | Fulke Walwyn | Mr S Loughridge 5/2 fav |
| 8 | JACK OF TRUMPS | Jonjo O'Neill | Edward O'Grady (Ire) | Mr John P McManus 5/1 |
| 9 | BORDER INCIDENT | John Francome | Richard Head | Mr A Warrender 6/1 |
| 10 | KILCOLEMAN | T McGivern | Boyers (Ire) | Mr P Clarke 50/1 |
| 11 | SECRET PROGRESS | C Smith | Heelan | Mr J Heelan 50/1 |
| 12 | NARRIBINNI | Richard Linley | N Mitchell | Mr G Rayes 100/1 |
| 13 | KAS | John Burke | H O'Neill | Mr G Dawes 100/1 |
| 14 | THE VINTNER | Chris Grant | Naughton | Westwood Garages Ltd 100/1 |
| 15 | ROYAL MAIL | Philip Blacker | Stan Mellor | Mr J Bagg 33/1 |
| Over round 109% | ||||
| This race took place on Thursday 15th March 1980 when Tied Cottage beat Master Smudge and Mac Vidi by 8 lengths and 5 lengths | ||||