Next month's Cheltenham Gold Cup is the premier horse race at the Cheltenham Festival and indeed the National Hunt season at large. The legendary race caps off the four-day event at Prestbury Park and hands out the richest prize in British and Irish horse racing outside the Aintree Grand National. The Cheltenham Festival launches a feast of great spring horse racing along with the Grand National. Horse racing fans and punters can visit bet-grand-national.co.uk for bet bonuses and tips before wagering on the Gold Cup and Grand National 2020.
The Gold Cup’s status as the elite race on the calendar automatically makes the winning horse a superstar. While some winners have faded from the limelight post-Gold Cup, others have continued winning the prestigious trophy. The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run in 1924 and has seen several repeat winners over the years.
Golden Miller
Golden Miller is the Cheltenham Gold Cup’s most successful horse. Foaled in 1927, Golden Miller won no less than five Gold Cups between 1932 and 1936. It is unlikely that another horse will break Golden Miller’s record for most wins as the landscape of horse racing is very different today. Golden Miller pulled off the Gold Cup-Grand National double in 1934 when he won both races. Golden Miller was the first horse to ever win both big races in the same year.
Easter Hero
Easter Hero may be a horse few racing fans hear about in modern times, but could have won far more trophies during an illustrious career. Easter Hero won the 1929 and 1930 Cheltenham Gold Cups along with the 1931 Champion Chase. He could have won even more Gold Cups but no race was run in 1931, preventing Easter Hero from challenging for a hattrick. Easter Hero was retired that same year after the Grand National due to injury.
Cottage Rake
A three-time winner, Cottage Rake took home the Gold Cup three straight years between 1948 and 1950. It can fairly be said that Cottage Rake's victory for then little known trainer Vincent O'Brien was the match that lit the fuse of ultra-competitive rivalry between horses from Ireland and the UK. The Rake and Vincent showed that taking on the British in their own backyard and winning was eminently possible. The Festival has never looked back. Following that third win at Prestbury Park however, Cottage Rake lost racing form and was retired not long after.
Arkle
The most famous horse ever to race in Britain, Arkle won the Gold Cup in three consecutive years from 1964-66. During a glittering career, he won almost everything including an Irish National and King George VI Chase. In 35 runs, he won 27 races and was placed in 5 others. He was the first horse toi receive fan mail, often addressed simlly to "Himself" Ireland! He recorded the highest ever Timeform rating of 212, which still compares favourably to modern day greats like Sprinter Sacre (192) and Kauto Star (191). The Irish horse was so famous during his life that his skeleton is on display in the Irish National Stud building in Kildare.
L’Escargot
L’Escargot ended an era becoming the last horse to win back to back Gold Cups until the 2000s. The Dan Moore trained horse won the famous race in 1970 and 1971. L’Escargot went onto solidify his name in horse racing annuals by winning the Grand National in 1975. The win made him only the second horse to ever win the two iconic British horse races.
Best Mate
Henrietta Knight’s Best Mate ran to Gold Cup glory three times in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and was trained locally enough to Barbury to warrant some reflected glory! The little village of East Hendred near Wantage and the Berkshire downs at large produce large numbers of runners at Barbury during the winter. Best Mate's career was littered with silverware as he also won the King George VI Chase and Haldon Gold Cup. Best Mate won over £1.02 million during his career and died in 2005 at the age of 10. Knight’s horse’s wins in the early 2000s made him the first horse in three decades to win back to back Gold Cups.
Next month's Cheltenham Gold Cup is the premier horse race at the Cheltenham Festival and indeed the National Hunt season at large. The legendary race caps off the four-day event at Prestbury Park and hands out the richest prize in British and Irish horse racing outside the Aintree Grand National. The Cheltenham Festival launches a feast of great spring horse racing along with the Grand National. Horse racing fans and punters can visit bet-grand-national.co.uk for bet bonuses and tips before wagering on the Gold Cup and Grand National 2020.
The Gold Cup’s status as the elite race on the calendar automatically makes the winning horse a superstar. While some winners have faded from the limelight post-Gold Cup, others have continued winning the prestigious trophy. The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run in 1924 and has seen several repeat winners over the years.
Golden Miller
Golden Miller is the Cheltenham Gold Cup’s most successful horse. Foaled in 1927, Golden Miller won no less than five Gold Cups between 1932 and 1936. It is unlikely that another horse will break Golden Miller’s record for most wins as the landscape of horse racing is very different today. Golden Miller pulled off the Gold Cup-Grand National double in 1934 when he won both races. Golden Miller was the first horse to ever win both big races in the same year.
Easter Hero
Easter Hero may be a horse few racing fans hear about in modern times, but could have won far more trophies during an illustrious career. Easter Hero won the 1929 and 1930 Cheltenham Gold Cups along with the 1931 Champion Chase. He could have won even more Gold Cups but no race was run in 1931, preventing Easter Hero from challenging for a hattrick. Easter Hero was retired that same year after the Grand National due to injury.
Cottage Rake
A three-time winner, Cottage Rake took home the Gold Cup three straight years between 1948 and 1950. It can fairly be said that Cottage Rake's victory for then little known trainer Vincent O'Brien was the match that lit the fuse of ultra-competitive rivalry between horses from Ireland and the UK. The Rake and Vincent showed that taking on the British in their own backyard and winning was eminently possible. The Festival has never looked back. Following that third win at Prestbury Park however, Cottage Rake lost racing form and was retired not long after.
Arkle
The most famous horse ever to race in Britain, Arkle won the Gold Cup in three consecutive years from 1964-66. During a glittering career, he won almost everything including an Irish National and King George VI Chase. In 35 runs, he won 27 races and was placed in 5 others. He was the first horse toi receive fan mail, often addressed simlly to "Himself" Ireland! He recorded the highest ever Timeform rating of 212, which still compares favourably to modern day greats like Sprinter Sacre (192) and Kauto Star (191). The Irish horse was so famous during his life that his skeleton is on display in the Irish National Stud building in Kildare.
L’Escargot
L’Escargot ended an era becoming the last horse to win back to back Gold Cups until the 2000s. The Dan Moore trained horse won the famous race in 1970 and 1971. L’Escargot went onto solidify his name in horse racing annuals by winning the Grand National in 1975. The win made him only the second horse to ever win the two iconic British horse races.
Best Mate
Henrietta Knight’s Best Mate ran to Gold Cup glory three times in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and was trained locally enough to Barbury to warrant some reflected glory! The little village of East Hendred near Wantage and the Berkshire downs at large produce large numbers of runners at Barbury during the winter. Best Mate's career was littered with silverware as he also won the King George VI Chase and Haldon Gold Cup. Best Mate won over £1.02 million during his career and died in 2005 at the age of 10. Knight’s horse’s wins in the early 2000s made him the first horse in three decades to win back to back Gold Cups.
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