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 2012 | Grade 1 | 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
| 1 | SYNCHRONISHED | Tony McCoy | Jonjo O'Neill | Mr John P McManus 8/1 |
| 2 | THE GIANT BOLSTER | Tom Scudamore | David Bridgwater | Mr Simon Hunt 50/1 |
| 3 | LONG RUN | Mr Sam Waley-Cohen | Nicky Henderson | Mr Robert Waley-Cohen 7/4 fav |
| 4 | BURTON PORT | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson | Mr Trevor Hemmings 8/1 |
| 5 | TIME FOR RUPERT | Denis O'Regan | Paul Webber | Littlecote Racing Partners 33/1 |
| 6 | KNOCKARA BEAU | Jan Faltejsek | George Charlton | Mr W F Trueman 66/1 |
| 7 | MIDNIGHT CHASE | Dougie Costello | Neil Mulholland | Lady Clarke 12/1 |
| 8 | CHINA ROCK | Andrew Lynch | Mouse Morris (Ire) | Mr Michael O'Flynn 100/1 |
| 9 | THE MIDNIGHT CLUB | Paul Townend | Willie Mullins (Ire) | Mrs Susannah Ricci 100/1 |
| 10 | CARRUTHERS | Mattie Batchelor | Mark Bradstock | The Oaksey Partnership 100/1 |
| 11 | WHAT A FRIEND | Daryl Jacob | Paul Nicholls | Ged Mason, Sir Alex Ferguson 25/1 |
| 12 | KAUTO STAR | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls | Mr Clive D Smith 3/1 |
| 13 | DIAMOND HARRY | Noel Fehily | Nick Williams | Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership 20/1 |
| 14 | WEIRD AL | Jason Maguire | Donald McCain | Brannon Dennis, Dick Holden 8/1 |
| Over round 121% | ||||
| This race was held on Friday 16th March 2012 when Synchronised beat The Giant Bolster and Long Run by 2 1/4 lengths and 3/4 length | ||||