Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009 March 10th -14th 2009

This is the highlight of the National Hunt season and the perfect opportunity for you to savour the racing over a distance of 3 miles and 2½ furlongs, it’s open to horses five-years-old or above.22 fences are jumped in the course of the race and the roll call of previous winners includes names that will be familiar to almost anyone: Arkle, Golden Miller or Desert Orchid. The Gold Cup is among the most valuable non-handicap chase events with a total prize fund of £450,000.

The first Cheltenham Gold Cup race took place in July 1819.Run on the flat over 3 miles it’s purse was the princely sum of 100 guineas. March 12, 1924 was the first time the Gold Cup was run over jumps with a prize of £685 on offer.The Gold Cup was abandoned in 1931 and 1937, but the intervening years saw the most successful horse in the event’s history. All five races from 1932 to 1936 were won by Golden Miller to add to his 1934 Grand National triumph.

In 1959 the Gold Cup was switched to Cheltenham’s “New Course”, and since then this has been the regular track used for the event. In the mid 1960s the race was dominated by Arkle who still holds the record for the shortest priced winner in the race’s history (1/10 in 1966 – you’d have had to spend a tenner to get £1 back!). The 1990 winner must surely hold the record for the longest ever winning price - Norton’s Coin at 100/1.One of the most popular Gold Cup winners was the grey, Desert Orchid in 1989.

So even if you’re not a keen racing fan, the sheer spectacle and proud history of one of the sporting highlights of the year makes Cheltenham in Festival week a magical location.

This year will see some fantastic competition with stable mates Denman the 2008 winner and Kauto Star the 2007 winner going head to head. Exotic Dancer should not be ignored and as the week progresses the weather will play a major part in the outcome of this wonderful event that is the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2009.

The Boss…