The festival culminates with the great race where famous stories are told. A Plus Tard got the job done last year so who adds their name in the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup (5294m) at Cheltenham on Friday?
2023 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 race run under Set Weight conditions for National Hunt horses at Cheltenham race course in England conducted by the Jockey Club.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is run over 3m 2f 110y (5331m). It was first run as a flat race in 1819 but as a jumps race it was in 1924 and won by Red Splash.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a steeplechase for five year olds and over. It is the blue riband of jumps racing being a non-handicap race.
It forms part of the famous Cheltenham Festival. Until 2005 the Festival was held over three days but went to four with the Cup on the final Friday.
When moved to the jumps at Cheltenham in 1924, it wasn't even the main race on the card. It was run on the 'new course' from 1959.
There have been several varying reasons that the race was not conducted. Frost got the course in 1931 and flooding in 1937. World War II saw the cancellation in 1943/44.
The 2001 edition was not run at Cheltenham due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Pat Taaffe is the leading jockey with four winners, three of which were with Arkle, while Tom Dreaper has five as a trainer, also including Arkle's triumphs. In 1983 Michael Dickinson trained the first five home.
Golden Miller won the race five straight years from 1932 to 1936.
Arkle was a great Irish horse with three wins in the 60s. His best Timeform rating was the best ever for a chaser. He had won a King George VI Chase and multiple Hennessy Gold Cups and Leopardstown Chases.
Three timer Best Mate was considered one of the cleanest jumpers ever, winning 14 of 22 runs including the three Gold Cups. He died tragically after running in the Haldon Gold Cup in 2005.
In the last 20 years there was a great duel between stable mates Kauto Star and Denman. They combined to win three in a row. In 2009 Kauto Star became the first horse to regain his lost crown.
2015 winner Coneygree had had only a handful of jumps starts before taking the win. It had been over 40 years since a novice had won.
On a very wet week and a vast amount of rough results in 2019, Al Boum Photo continued that trend leading home a trifecta of 12-1, 22-1 and 18-1 shots. It gave the legend Willie Mullins his first Gold Cup.
He would back it up 12 months on winning in a great four way go to the line in 2020.
The 2021 race had Minella Indo defeat A Plus Tard and it was reversed a year later with Henry De Bromhead quinellaring again. A Plus Tard's win saw Rachael Blackmore become the first female rider to score.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup was worth £625,000 in 2023.
Notable winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup include A Plus Tard (2022), Al Boum Photo (2019/2020), Coneygree (2015), Bobs Worth (2013), Long Run (2011), Kauto Star (2007/2009), Denman (2008), Best Mate (2002/2003/2004), Desert Orchid (1989), Dawn Run (1986), L'Escargot (1970/1971), Arkle (1964/1965/1966), Mill House (1963), Cottage Rake (1947/1948/1949) and Golden Miller (1932/1933/1934/1935/1936).
The 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup was won by A Plus Tard from Minella Indo and Protektorat.
