Thousands of racegoers flocked to Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire for the 100th edition of the Gold Cup this afternoon.
The first edition of this prestigious race was ran in March 1924 and was won by a horse called Red Splash who was ridden by jockey Dick Rees.
Rachael Blackmore who won the 98th edition of the race in 2022 on A Plus Tard with a winning time of 06:42:15.
Ms Blackmore is the only female to have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup since its conception a century ago.
Golden Miller has been the most successful horse to have taken part in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, winning it on 5 consecutive occasions from 1932 to 1936.
Pat Taaffe is the most successful jockey when it comes to winning the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, having won the race 4 times in the 1960’s aboard legendary horse Arkle.
The trainer with the most success at the Gold Cup is Tom Dreaper, having trained Arkle to his 4 victories in the 1960’s.
However most successful horse to have competed in the Gold Cup this decade is Al Boum Photo, having secured victory on three separate occasion’s in 2019.2020 & 2021.
The most successful jockey in the last 10 years to have ridden in the Gold Cup is Paul Townend, having won the prestigious race aboard Al Boum Photo from 2019 until 2021.
This means that the trainer of Al Boum Photo, Willie Mullins is the most successful trainer to have trained a Gold Cup winner in the last decade.
Herefordshire based jockey Richard Johnson only won the Cheltenham Gold Cup once in his glittering career and that was in 2000 aboard Looks Like Trouble, who was trained by Noel Chance.
However another Herefordshire based jockey, Tom Scudamore who has also retired from the sport never won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Desert Orchid is one of only a handful of grey racehorses to win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham along with Red Rum and Arkle.
The 1948 edition of the race was the first to be televised however it wasn’t transmitted live on the day for racegoers to enjoy. It was actually shown 4 days later on the BBC’s newsreel programme.
The BBC went onto broadcast all three days of the festival live from the 1948 edition which was won by Cottage Rake.
The televised format changed 1964 when the Cheltenham meeting switched to Thursday, Friday, Saturday with the Gold Cup featuring on the final days racecard.
The shift of format allowed for a larger television audience to witness the clash between Arkle and Mill House on grandstand, the 3:50 Gold Cup coverage was slotted in between the Swimming from Portsmouth’s Victoria Park Baths and the Ice Hockey from Kirkcaldy.
ITV Racing took over ownership broadcasting the festival from the 1st of January 2017, with Ed Chamberlin has there anchor.
There are number of Roads, Statues, Bars and Clubs named in honour of those who have triumphed in the Gold Cup over the years. There is an Arkle Close that is situated just off Golden Miller Road in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
There is a massive statue of Sir AP McCoy who won the jockey’s championship 20 times during his glittering career in the saddle that not far away from the statue dedicated to Gold Cup winning horse, Best Mate.
A statue in honour of a horse that I’ve already mentioned in this piece Arkle, sits proudly surveying the paddock from its lofty height. Barely 30 meters away from the statue of Arkle you will find a statue of Dawn Red and Jonjo O’neill that proudly overlooks the winners enclosure.
There are a number of bars at the course named in honour of Gold Cup winners and they include one called Arkle, Mill House and Cottage Rake.
The racecard for the 2024 Gold Cup Friday is action packed with a total of three races on the card before the 2024 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup at 15:30.
Gold Cup Day 2024
13:30 – The JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)
14:10 – The McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle Race (Premier Handicap)
14:50 – The Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle Race (Grade 1)
15:30 – The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (Grade 1)
16:10 – The St James’s Palace Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters Steeple Chase
16:50 – The Mrs Paddy Power Mares Steeple Chase (Grade 2)
17:30 – The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle.
The 2024 Boodles Gold Cup Winner
The 2024 Boodles Gold Cup winner was Galopin Des Champs who was ridden to victory by Paul Townend in a time of 7.09.40.
Today’s Results
The JCB Triumph Hurdle a grade 1 race was won by Majborough who was ridden to victory by Mark Walsh in the first race of Boodles Gold Cup day.
The second race on the exciting Gold Cup day race-card was The McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle Race, a premier handicap race which was won by Absurde and Paul Townend.
The 14:50 race on Gold Cup Day a novices hurdle was won by combination of Stellar Story and Sam Ewing which was exciting to see as the atmosphere was starting to build at the course ahead of the next race, The Boodles Gold Cup.
The atmosphere was still electric for the race that followed The 2024 Boodles Gold Cup, a steeple chase that was won by Sine Nomine who had been partnered up with John Dawson.
A grade 2 steeple chase was the penultimate race on Gold Cup Day and was won by Limerick Lace 8 who had been partnered with Keith Donoghue.
The atmosphere hadn’t cooled for the final race of the day a jockey’s handicap hurdle that was eventually won by Better Days Ahead who had been partnered up with Danny Gilligan by there trainer Gordon Elliott for this exciting curtain closer.
I know that this is a very long and boring blog on a subject that won’t be to ever readers taste however I wanted to celebrate my trip to the 100th edition of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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