The Haldon Gold Cup, a limited handicap, is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Exeter over a distance of about 2 miles and 1½ furlongs (2 miles, 1 furlong and 109 yards, or 3,520 metres), with twelve fences. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November. The 2024 race, on 8 November, was worth £59,440 to the winner.
The event is named after Haldon, a ridge of high ground in Devon on which Exeter Racecourse is located. The race became a limited handicap in 1996.
The 2005 edition was marred by the death of Best Mate, a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Records Most successful horse (3 wins): Travado – 1993,1994,1995
Leading jockey (4 wins): Peter Scudamore – Artifice (1983), Admiral's Cup (1986), Sabin du Loir (1990,1991) Richard Johnson - Viking Flagship (1997), Monkerhostin (2005), Ashley Brook (2008), Planet of Sound (2009)
Leading trainer (8 wins): Paul Nicholls – Lake Kariba (1998), Flagship Uberalles (1999), Azertyuiop (2004), Tchico Polos (2010), Vibrato Valtat (2015), Politologue (2017), Greaneteen (2020,2022)
Winners since 1969 Weights given in stones and pounds. Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer 1969 Moonduster 10 12-07 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell 1970Abandoned due to Fog 1971 Bangkok 9 11-05 Bill Smith Les Kennard 1972 Bangkok 10 11-12 Mr R Smith Les Kennard 1973Abandoned due to Waterlogging 1974 Polymic 8 10-10 Anthony Andrews J Cobden 1975 Sandwilan 7 11-04 Ron Hyett S Wright 1976 Master H 7 11-08 Philip Blacker Michael Oliver 1977 Transformation 8 10-08 Clive Candy Jim Old 1978Abandoned because of dangerously hard ground 1979 Hutton Lad 8 10-06 Lorna Vincent Les Kennard 1980 Foreign Legion 9 11-09 G McNally C James 1981 Silversmith 8 11-01 Steve Smith Eccles Les Kennard 1982 News King 8 12-00 John Francome Fred Winter 1983 Artifice 12 11-10 Peter Scudamore John Thorne 1984 Fifty Dollars More 9 11-10 Richard Linley Fred Winter 1985 Kathies Lad 8 11-08 Steve Smith-Eccles Alan Jarvis 1986 Admiral's Cup 8 11-08 Peter Scudamore Fred Winter 1987 Very Promising 9 11-00 Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson 1988 Barnbrook Again 7 11-00 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth 1989 Panto Prince 8 11-00 Brendan Powell Chris Popham 1990 Sabin du Loir 11 11-00 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe 1991 Sabin du Loir 12 11-06 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe 1992 Waterloo Boy 9 11-06 Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson 1993 Travado 7 11-00 Jamie Osborne Nicky Henderson 1994 Travado 8 11-06 Jamie Osborne Nicky Henderson 1995 Travado 9 11-06 Jamie Osborne Nicky Henderson 1996 Absalom's Lady 8 10-07 David Bridgwater Gay Kelleway 1997 Viking Flagship 10 11-10 Richard Johnson David Nicholson 1998 Lake Kariba 7 10-06 Joe Tizzard Paul Nicholls 1999 Flagship Uberalles 5 10–13 Joe Tizzard Paul Nicholls 2000 Bellator 7 10-09 Norman Williamson Venetia Williams 2001 Best Mate 6 10–12 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight 2002 Edredon Bleu 10 11-10 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight 2003 Edredon Bleu 11 11-10 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight 2004 Azertyuiop 7 11-10 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2005 Monkerhostin 8 10-05 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs 2006 Impek 10 11-10 Tony McCoy Henrietta Knight 2007 Pablo du Charmil 6 10–12 Tom Scudamore David Pipe 2008 Ashley Brook 10 10-04 Richard Johnson Kevin Bishop 2009 Planet of Sound 7 10-09 Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs 2010 Tchico Polos 6 10-04 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2011 Medermit 7 11-04 Robert Thornton Alan King 2012 Cue Card 6 11-07 Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard 2013 Somersby 9 10-07 Dominic Elsworth Mick Channon 2014 God's Own 6 10-07 Paddy Brennan Tom George 2015 Vibrato Valtat 6 11-01 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2016 Sir Valentino 7 10-08 Adrian Heskin Tom George 2017 Politologue 6 11-02 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2018 God's Own 10 11-09 Paddy Brennan Tom George 2019 Janika 6 11-10 Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson 2020 Greaneteen 6 11-03 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2021 Eldorado Allen 7 10-07 Brendan Powell Colin Tizzard 2022 Greaneteen 8 11-12 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2023 Elixir De Nutz 9 10-00 Freddie Gingell Joe Tizzard 2024 JPR One 7 11-12 Brendan Powell Joe Tizzard 2025 Thistle Ask 8 10-06 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
External links Race Recordings (1987-2011) youtube.com