The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards, or 5,294 m), and during its running there are 22 fences to be jumped. The race takes place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The steeplechase, which is open to horses aged five years and over, is the most prestigious of all National Hunt events and it is sometimes referred to as the Blue Riband of jump-racing. Its roll of honour features the names of such chasers as Arkle, Best Mate, Golden Miller, Kauto Star, Denman and Mill House. The Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain, and in 2025 it offered a total prize fund of £625,000.
History
Early years The first horse race known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup took place in July 1819. It was a flat race, and it was contested over 3 miles on Cleeve Hill, which overlooks the present venue. The inaugural winner, Spectre, won a prize of 100 guineas for his owner Mr Bodenham.
The founding of the Cheltenham Gold Cup was an important event in the history of National Hunt racing. In the early 1920s there were very few valuable weight-for-age steeplechases. Apart from the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and the Champion Chase at Liverpool all the most important races were handicaps. Some people thought this was not in the best interests of the sport, so the Gold Cup was founded to redress the balance to a certain degree. It is not sure who had the idea for the Gold Cup, but it may have been Mr F.H. Cathcart, the Chairman of the Cheltenham Executive. It took a while for the prestige of the Gold Cup to grow, but it is now regarded as the true championship race for staying chasers.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run as a steeplechase on 12 March 1924, over 3 miles 3 furlongs, for five year olds and upwards, with five year olds carrying 11 st 4 lbs, and the remainder 12 st. The race was covered by Pathe News. A prize of £685 was awarded to the owner of the winning horse. This was considerably less valuable than the National Hunt Chase, which was still regarded as the most important race of the meeting. The weather at Cheltenham for that first Gold Cup was mild and springlike. Among the spectators was the Prince of Wales, a friend of Harry Brown who was riding Conjuror II. There was an exciting finish, with Major E.H. Wyndham's five year old, Red Splash, 5/1, ridden by Dick Rees and trained by Fred Withington, beating Conjuror II by a head, with Gerald L a neck away third. Forewarned, ridden by Jack Anthony, was the 3/1 favourite. Red Splash appeared to have a great future, but he was difficult to train and never again ran in the Gold Cup.
The event originally took place on what is now the "Old Course" at Cheltenham. In its early years it was overshadowed at the Festival by another race, the National Hunt Chase and was worth less in prize money than the County Handicap Hurdle which had a purse of £1,000.
The Gold Cup was abandoned in 1931 (because of frost) and 1937 (flooding), but the five intervening years saw the emergence of the most successful horse in the event's history. All five races from 1932 to 1936 were won by Golden Miller, who also won the Grand National in 1934.
During World War II, the Gold Cup was cancelled twice, in 1943 and 1944. The first multiple winner in the post-war era was Cottage Rake, who won the three runnings from 1948 to 1950. Cottage Rake was trained in Ireland by Vincent O'Brien, and his successes helped to popularise the Gold Cup, and the Festival itself, with the Irish public.
Modern era The Gold Cup was switched to the "New Course" in 1959, and this remains the regular track used for the event. In the mid-1960s, the race was dominated by Arkle, who won three consecutive runnings from 1964 to 1966. Such was Arkle's perceived superiority before the last of these victories that he was given a starting price of 1/10 (a £10 bet would have won £1). He remains the shortest-priced winner in the race's history.
The first commercial sponsorship of the race was by Piper Champagne, which began supporting the event in 1972. The Tote (now known as Totesport) became the sponsor in 1980.
The most remarkable feat in the Gold Cup by a trainer came in 1983, when Michael Dickinson was responsible for all of the first five horses to finish – Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck and Ashley House. The 1986 winner, Dawn Run, is the only horse to have ever won both this race and the leading hurdle event, the Champion Hurdle. One of the most popular horses to win the Gold Cup was Desert Orchid, a grey who won the event in 1989. The following year's running was won by Norton's Coin, whose starting price of 100/1 represents the race's longest ever winning price.
The entire Cheltenham Festival was cancelled in 2001 because of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. A replacement for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Gold Trophy Chase, was contested at Sandown in late April, but the Racing Post stated that this "lacked any strength in depth and was no substitute for the Gold Cup". The next three runnings were all won by Best Mate, who is the most recent of the four horses to have won the race three or more times.
In 2009, Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup. He overcame his stablemate and conqueror in 2008, Denman, who had recovered from a heart condition to take his place in the race. Timeform spokesperson Kieran Packman said of Kauto Star's performance, "it is the best Gold Cup-winning figure since the Arkle era in the mid-1960s".
One of the cups, a different one being awarded each year, was reported stolen on 14 July 2010 after a burglary at a home in Wormington, Gloucestershire.
Cheltenham Racecourse announced in September 2018 that it had been reunited with the original Cheltenham Gold Cup trophy, dating back to 1924, and will present it to the winner of the 2019 race. First awarded to five-year-old Red Splash, owned by Major Humphrey Wyndham, trained by Fred Withington and ridden by Dick Rees, it will now be re-introduced as a perpetual trophy, presented to the winning connections of the 2019 race and in future years.
In 2020 the Cheltenham Festival, and the Gold Cup in particular, was blamed for accelerating the spread of COVID-19 in the UK, being one of the last major sporting events to take place before national lockdowns were imposed by the government. In 2021 the Gold Cup was contested behind closed doors, as the rest of the festival was, resulting in a muted atmosphere. In 2022 Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to ride to victory at the Gold Cup on A Plus Tard, who she had ridden to second place the previous year.
Records Most successful horse (5 wins): Golden Miller – 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936
Leading jockey (5 wins): Paul Townend - Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin Des Champs (2023, 2024), Gaelic Warrior (2026)
Leading trainer (5 wins): Tom Dreaper – Prince Regent (1946), Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966), Fort Leney (1968) Willie Mullins - Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin Des Champs (2023, 2024), Gaelic Warrior (2026)
Leading owner (7 wins): Dorothy Paget – Golden Miller (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936), Roman Hackle (1940), Mont Tremblant (1952)
Multiple wins on 2 or more horses
Trainer: Willie Mullins, Jockey: Paul Townend 2019, 2020 Al Boum Photo, 2023, 2024 Galopin Des Champs.
Winners Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr". Winning mares indicated by † Winning trainers based in Great Britain unless indicated (IRE) = Ireland, (FRA) = France Date Winner SP Age Jockey Trainer Owner Field 2nd and 3rd Time 12 March 1924 Red Splash 5 Dick Rees Fred Withington Maj. Humphrey Wyndham 92nd. (hd) Conjuror II 7/13rd. (nk) Gerald L. 5/1Not taken 11 March 1925 Ballinode† 9 Ted Leader Frank Morgan (IRE) Christopher Bentley 42nd. (5 L) Alcazar 8/13F3rd. (dst) Patsey 10/1729607:29.6 9 March 1926 Koko 8 Tim Hamey Alfred Bickley Frank Barbour 82nd. (4 L) Old Tay Bridge 3/13rd. (5 L) Ruddyglow 6/5F711007:11.0 8 March 1927 Thrown In 11 Mr Hugh Grosvenor Owen Anthony 2nd Lord Stalbridge 82nd. (2 L) Grakle 5/13rd. () Silvo 13/8F728007:28.0 13 March 1928 Patron Saint 5 Dick Rees Stanley Harrison F. W. Keen 72nd. (4 L) Vive 8/13rd. (2 L) Koko 4/5F729607:29.6 12 March 1929 Easter HeroF 9 Dick Rees Jack Anthony John Hay Whitney 102nd. (20 L) Lloydie 100/9 3rd. (2 L) Grakle 11/4657006:57.0 11 March 1930 Easter HeroF 10 Tommy Cullinan Jack Anthony John Hay Whitney 42nd. (20 L) Grakle 10/1 3rd. (dist) Gib 13/8706007:06.0 No race 1931 1 March 1932 Golden Miller 5 Ted Leader Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget 62nd. (4 L) Inverse 8/1 3rd. (dist) Aruntius 20/1733407:33.4 7 March 1933 Golden MillerF 6 Billy Stott Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget 72nd. (10 L) Thomond II 11/4 3rd. (5 L) Delaneige 20/1733007:33.0 6 March 1934 Golden MillerF 7 Gerry Wilson Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget 72nd. (6 L) Avenger 6/1 3rd. (6 L) Kellsboro 10/1704607:04.6 14 March 1935 Golden MillerF 8 Gerry Wilson Basil Briscoe Dorothy Paget 52nd. ( L) Thomond II 5/2 3rd. (5 L) Kellsboro' Jack 100/7630006:30.0 12 March 1936 Golden MillerF 9 Evan Williams Owen Anthony Dorothy Paget 62nd. (12 L) Royal Mail 5/1 3rd. (2 L) Kellsboro' Jack 10/1705207:05.2 No race 1937 10 March 1938 Morse Code 9 Danny Morgan Ivor Anthony Dealtry C. Part 62nd. (2 L) Golden Miller 7/4F 3rd. (3 L) Macaulay 3/1635206:35.2 9 March 1939 Brendan's Cottage 9 George Owen George Beeby Jean Smith-Bingham 52nd. (5 L) Morse Code 4/7F 3rd. (dist) Embarrassed 25/1734207:34.2 20 March 1940 Roman HackleF 7 Evan Williams Owen Anthony Dorothy Paget 72nd. (10 L) Black Hawk 20/13rd. (2 L) Royal Mail 100/8646406:46.4 20 March 1941 Poet Prince 9 Roger Burford Ivor Anthony David Sherbrooke 102nd. (3 L) Savon 100/30 3rd. (sh) Red Rower 8/1615606:15.6 21 March 1942 Medoc II 8 Frenchie Nicholson Reg Hobbs 7th Earl of Sefton 122nd. (3 L) Red Rower 3/1F 3rd. (sh) Asterabad 20/1638006:38.0 Races not held in 1943–44 due to World War II 17 March 1945 Red RowerF 11 Davy Jones 2nd Lord Stalbridge 2nd Lord Stalbridge 162nd. (3 L) Schubert 11/2 3rd. ( L) Paladin 100/30616206:16.2 14 March 1946 Prince RegentF 11 Tim Hyde Tom Dreaper (IRE) Jimmy Rank 62nd. (5 L) Poor Flame 5/1 3rd. (4 L) Red 9/2 April647606:47.6 12 April 1947 Fortina 6 Mr Richard Black Hector Christie 3rd Baron Grimthorpe 122nd. (10 L) Happy Home 3/1 3rd. (5 L) Prince Blackthorn 8/1641206:41.2 4 March 1948 Cottage Rake 9 Aubrey Brabazon Vincent O'Brien (IRE) Frank Vickerman 122nd. ( L) Happy Home 6/1 3rd. (10 L) Coloured School Boy 10/1656406:56.4 11 April 1949 Cottage RakeF 10 Aubrey Brabazon Vincent O'Brien (IRE) Frank Vickerman 62nd. (2 L) Cool Customer 13/2 3rd. (6 L) Coloured School Boy 8/1636006:36.0 9 March 1950 Cottage RakeF 11 Aubrey Brabazon Vincent O'Brien (IRE) Frank L. Vickerman 62nd. (10 L) Finnure 5/4 3rd. (8 L) Garde Toi 100/1700607:00.6 25 April 1951 Silver FameF 12 Martin Molony George Beeby 1st Baron Bicester 62nd. (shd) Greenogue 100/83rd. (2 L) Mighty Fine 10/1623406:23.4 6 March 1952 Mont Tremblant 6 Dave Dick Fulke Walwyn Dorothy Paget 132nd. (10 L) Shaef 7/13rd. (4 L) Galloway Braes 66/1702307:02.3 5 March 1953 Knock Hard 9 Tim Molony Vincent O'Brien (IRE) Moya Keogh 122nd. (5 L) Halloween 5/2F3rd. (2 L) Galloway Braes 33/1628406:28.4 1954 Four Ten 8 Tommy Cusack John Roberts Alan Strange 92nd. (4 L) Mariner's Log 20/13rd. (4 L) Halloween 100/6712207:12.20 1955 Gay Donald 9 Tony Grantham Jim Ford Philip Burt 92nd. (10 L) Halloween 7/23rd. (8 L) Four Ten 3/1F659206:59.20 1956 Limber HillF 9 Jimmy Power Bill Dutton James Davey 112nd. (4 L) Vigor 50/13rd. ( L) Halloween 100/8642006:42.00 1957 Linwell 9 Michael Scudamore Charlie Mallon David Brown 132nd. (1 L) Kerstin† 6/13rd. (5 L) Rose Park 100/8655606:55.6 1958 Kerstin† 8 Stan Hayhurst Verly Bewicke George H. Moore 92nd. ( L) Polar Flight 11/23rd. (dist) Gay Donald 13/2655606:55.6