Gold Cup Winners

Gold Cup Winners

The Last Ten Winners

• 1999 See More Business 9yo 16/1 P Nicholls M Fitzgerald
• 2000 Looks Like Trouble 8yo 9/2 N Chance R Johnson
• 2001 NO RACE
• 2002 Best Mate 7yo 7/1 H Knight J Culloty
• 2003 Best Mate 8yo 13/8f H Knight J Culloty
• 2004 Best Mate 9yo 8/11f H Knight J Culloty
• 2005 Kicking King 7yo 4/1f T Taaffe B Geraghty
• 2006 War Of Attrition 7yo 15/2 M Morris C ODwyer
• 2007 Kauto Star 7yo 5/4f P Nicholls R Walsh
• 2008 Denman 8yo 9/4 P Nicholls S Thomas
• 2009 Kauto Star 9yo 7/4f P Nicholls R Walsh

Class Tells

The Cheltenham Gold Cup has traditionally been a race where form and class shine through. Outrageous shocks are rare and the race is respected as a true test to find the best steeplechaser in the world. So its wise to concentrate on runners towards the head of the gold cup odds.

No top class steeplechasers resume is complete without a Cheltenham Gold Cup but very few attain that accolade. Of those that do manage to lift the Gold Cup they face an even harder challenge in trying to come back and retain their crown. It seems that the rigours of the Gold Cup are such that defending the title can often be beyond even the most talented of chasers.

Multiple Winners

Only seven horses have won the Gold Cup more than once since the race was first run in 1924:

Easter Hero (1929, 1930)

Golden Miller (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936)

Cottage Rake (1948, 1949, 1950)

Arkle (1964, 1965, 1966)

LEscargot (1970, 1971)

Best Mate (2002, 2003, 2004)

Kauto Star (2007, 2009)

Kauto Star was the first horse in the history of the Gold Cup to win back the title after losing it. He must be some horse!

That said, this gives you some idea of the task facing Kauto Star and Denman in 2010.

King George The Key Gold Cup Trial

Look out for the King George VI Chase at Kempton in 2009 (Kauto Star), as that race often proves to be a key race to the outcome of the Gold Cup and runners from that race who take part in the Gold Cup should be given very serious consideration.

What To Look For In A Gold Cup Winner

In general, horses who win the Gold Cup tend to be of a proven quality (an official rating of 166 or higher) and usually have had previous winning or placed form at the Cheltenham Festival.

Also, age is a major consideration with horses aged between seven and nine having a virtual monopoly on this race. If your selection is younger or older than that age group you are flying against a very strong statistic (another negative for the ten year olds, Kauto Star and Denman).

Good quality current form is also a must with eighteen of the last twenty Gold Cup winners achieving a top four placing on their last outing before Cheltenham.

In summary, look for a young, progressive, in-form chaser, somewhere towards the head of the gold cup odds with positive experience at Cheltenham.

Good luck!