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55-659: 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,

110-658: 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

165-719: A banned substance. The 2001 running was cancelled due to a foot-and-mouth outbreak. A substitute race at Sandown was won by Marlborough . Betfred began sponsoring the Gold Cup in 2012, after the betting company bought the Government-owned Tote in June 2011, but in late 2015 they lost their sponsorship following Jockey Club 's and Arena Racing new initiative to not allow bookmaker sponsorships on their tracks that do not offer any contribution to horse racing from their offshore business. Only two weeks later

220-408: A different track each year. The 'National Hunt Meeting' established itself in the racing calendar, in turn moving around such courses as Sandown, New market, Derby, Liverpool, Hurst Park, Lincoln, Leicester and many others. In 1904 and 1905, Cheltenham hosted the meeting, and although Warwick was awarded it for five years after that, it then returned to Cheltenham which became the permanent home of

275-555: 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

330-404: A new sponsorship deal was announced with Timico , an independent internet service provider whose CEO Tim Radford is a horse owner having top chasers like Somersby and Racing Demon associated with his name. Timico also offered an increase of £25,000 to reach a total of £575,000 prize money for the 2016 Gold Cup renewal. It was the first time that the race had been sponsored by a non-bookmaker since

385-512: A partner since 1851, took the reins of the house. In 1892, his son, Ferdinand-Théodore, succeeded him. His daughter Yolande married Marquis Jean de Suarez d’Aulan in 1926. A pioneer of aviation, this extraordinary man promoted the house by flying around the world in his own plane. During World War II , he accepted the task of hiding weapons in the cellar that would be used by the Champagne Resistance . The day before his arrest by

440-504: A whole host of other important races have been added to the National Hunt racing season, although many of these are geared towards generating betting turnover in the form of competitive handicaps that attract large numbers of runners. Given the sport's origins, Irish-bred and trained horses remain a dominant force in national hunt racing today. In 2005 and 2006, Irish-trained horses captured the three main prizes at Cheltenham and won

495-504: A woman from Champagne... and with Champagne wine. Self-taught, he was driven by a great ambition: "to create a cuvée worthy of a queen." In 1785, he founded the trading house of drapes and Champagne wines, Heidsieck & Cie. He became a master of his craft to the point of having the honor of personally presenting his wine to Queen Marie-Antoinette . Upon Florens-Louis's death in 1828, his nephew Christian Heidsieck partnered with Henri-Guillaume Piper who used his good sense of commerce. From

550-539: Is run after the Gold Cup over the same distance and is often referred to as the amateur Gold Cup. "Point to Point" racing is steeplechase racing for amateurs. Piper-Heidsieck Piper-Heidsieck is a Champagne house founded by Florens-Louis Heidsieck in 1785 in Reims , France. Piper-Heidsieck was acquired on July 8, 2011, by the French luxury group EPI (Entreprise Patrimoniale d’Investissements), controlled by

605-461: Is run over 4.3 miles (6.9 km). Notably, the 'Liverpool Grand Steeplechase' (to give its original name) was actually initiated in 1836, although the three earliest runnings have been overlooked in many historical chronicles. Organising steeplechasing in Britain, began with annual events being staged cross country over a number of fields, hedges and brooks, the earliest most notable of these being

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660-676: Is the Grand National , run at Aintree in April each year. The race is a different sort of contest from the Gold Cup: it is a Grade 3 race, it is run over a distance of more than 4 miles (6.4 km), there are up to 40 runners, the course at Aintree is essentially flat, and the horses are handicapped (the best horses carry the most weight). Perhaps the most fundamental difference is that the Grand National fences are far bigger than

715-567: 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

770-468: 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 2023 it offered a total prize fund of £625,000. The first horse race known as

825-720: The Cannes Film Festival until 2020 and also of the Oscars from 2015 to 2020. The Piper-Heidsieck house maintains its relationship with cinema and has been a patron of the Cinémathèque Française since 2008. It has contributed to the funding of the restoration of Luis Buñuel's film "The Golden Age" . Today, the house partners with new festivals that promote inclusion, such as the Independent Film Spirit Awards. Piper-Heidsieck

880-521: 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

935-518: The Gestapo , he fled to North Africa, became a fighter pilot in the famous Lafayette Escadrille, and died in combat in 1944. The Piper-Heidsieck house was placed under sequestration by the occupier and would likely have perished by the Liberation if it hadn't been brilliantly revived by Yolande Kunkelmann d'Aulan, supported by General Baron d’Alès, with whom she remarried in 1945. François d’Aulan,

990-831: The Scottish Grand National at Ayr Racecourse ; the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse ; the Welsh National at Chepstow Racecourse ; and the Irish National at Fairyhouse Racecourse . National Hunt racing originated in Ireland , particularly in the southern counties. Early races were mainly two-horse contests known as "pounding races" that became popular in the early 18th century. These involved long trips across country where horses were required to jump whatever obstacles

1045-690: The Cheltenham Festival is the Gold Cup . All races run at Cheltenham finish with a long uphill run-in in front of the stands. The Gold Cup is a Grade 1 race, run over a distance of 3 miles 2 + 1 ⁄ 2  furlongs (5.3 km). All horses carry the same weight in the Gold Cup. On numerous occasions the hill at the finish has found out the brave. Famous winners of the Gold Cup include Dawn Run (mare, ridden by Jonjo O'Neill), Arkle , Golden Miller, Best Mate, Desert Orchid & Kauto Star . The highest profile National Hunt race

1100-592: The Cheltenham Gold Cup from 2022. The Cheltenham Gold Cup has had the following sponsors: National Hunt racing National Hunt racing , also known as Jump Racing , is a form of horse racing particular to France , Great Britain and Ireland , that requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In the UK, national hunt racing is divided into two major distinct branches, hurdling and steeplechase , as well as flat races called " bumpers ". Hurdling involves horses jumping over hurdles , while steeplechase involves

1155-489: 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

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1210-632: The Descours family. Before that, the house was owned by the Rémy Cointreau wine and spirits group since 1988. Marilyn Monroe was one of the House's supporters, rumoured to have kept a month's supply of champagne in her kitchen. It all began with Florens-Louis Heidsieck . Born in 1749, this son of a Protestant pastor from Westphalia settled as a draper in Reims, where he fell in love with

1265-514: 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 ,

1320-620: The Grand National. Best Mate who captured the Cheltenham Gold Cup three successive times between 2002 and 2004, was Irish-bred, but trained and owned in England . In recent years, French-bred horses have also come to the forefront with horses such as Master Minded becoming the highest rated horse in Britain after winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Kauto Star who won the Gold Cup in 2007, 2009 and

1375-487: The Habsburg princes to the emperors of China, fourteen royal or imperial courts granted him the privilege of "patented supplier." Around the world, high society desired "the wine of Piper, crafted by Heidsieck." In 1835, Christian Heidsieck died, and in 1838, his wife remarried Henri-Guillaume Piper. The name Piper-Heidsieck was born. Upon Henri-Guillaume's death in 1870, Jacques-Charles Théodore Kunkelmann, who had been

1430-673: 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

1485-425: The National Hunt calendar are the Cheltenham Festival meeting and the Grand National meeting. The Cheltenham Festival is held at Cheltenham Racecourse over four days in the second week of March. On Friday, it features eleven grade one races, culminating in the Cheltenham Gold Cup , the most prestigious Chase race in the world. The Grand National meeting is held at Aintree over three days every April. Many of

1540-658: The St Albans Steeplechase (first run in 1830). For some years, there was no regulation of steeplechasing . The sport gained a reputation as being a bastard relation of flat-racing and consequently fell into decline. A breakthrough came in the 1860s with the formation of the National Hunt Committee, and the running of the National Hunt Steeplechase. This steeplechase would form part of an annual race-meeting staged at

1595-453: The Tote took over from Piper Champagne in 1980. In July 2018 Cheltenham Racecourse announced Magners Irish Cider as the new Cheltenham Gold Cup sponsor until 2021 with a possible extension to 2022. Magners ended their sponsorship early, after the 2020 race, and the 2021 race carried the name of the charity WellChild . On 24 January 2022 it was announced luxury jeweller Boodles would sponsor

1650-757: 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. Most successful horse (5 wins): Leading jockey (4 wins): Leading trainer (5 wins): Leading owner (7 wins): Multiple wins on 2 or more horses Trainer: Willie Mullins, Jockey: Paul Townend 2019,2020 Al Boum Photo, 2023,2024 Galopin Des Champs. The race

1705-578: The best horses come to these festivals, which are watched by a huge television audience worldwide. Hundreds of millions of pounds are gambled on these festivals . Other important festivals are: the Galway Races – a hugely popular mixed (NH and flat) meeting in Ireland; Punchestown Festival – the Irish equivalent of the Cheltenham Festival; The Tingle Creek at Sandown Park Racecourse ;

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1760-486: The big screen in the film "Sons of the desert" by Laurel and Hardy . This connection with cinema continued in 1953 when Marilyn Monroe expressed her affection for the brand through the famous line: "I go to bed with a few drops of Chanel No. 5, and I wake up with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck." Since 1993, the Piper-Heidsieck house has maintained its relationship with cinema, serving as the official supplier of

1815-417: The company in 2011. As for the cellar masters, in 2002, Régis Camus took over the production of the wines of the Piper-Heidsieck house for 16 years, passing the reins to Emilien Boutillat in 2018, who became the youngest cellar master of a major Champagne house at the age of 31. In July 2022, the house obtained B Corp certification. In 2008, architect Jacques Ferrier designed the new headquarters of

1870-546: The eldest son of Marquis Jean de Suarez d’Aulan and Yolande Kunkelmann, succeeded her in 1957. He presided over the Piper-Heidsieck Champagnes for thirty-three years, balancing development imperatives with family sustainability. In 1988, he passed the torch to the Hériard-Dubreuil family. The family holding EPI, specialized in the wine and luxury sectors and led by Christopher Descours, acquired

1925-471: The fences at Cheltenham and a number of fences incorporate significant drops. The best known fence is Becher's Brook which is 5 ft (1.5 m) high, but has a 7 ft (2 m) drop on landing and is often regarded as the biggest challenge on the course. Winners of the Grand National include Red Rum (won 3 times:1973, 1974, 1977), runner up twice (1975, 1976)); Mr Frisk (1990, the last winner to date to be ridden by an amateur jockey and still holds

1980-514: The first 3 of a Grade 1 or 2 chase in the previous season from taking part. The two biggest Hunter Chases are the Aintree Fox Hunters' Chase and Cheltenham Foxhunter Chase . The Aintree Fox Hunters' is run as the feature race on the first day of the Grand National meeting over one circuit of the Grand National course. This gives amateur riders the chance to jump these famous fences before the professionals. The Cheltenham Foxhunter

2035-489: The fixture. Further prestigious races were added to the card during the 1920s, such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle. As steeplechasing entered its modern era, the Cheltenham Festival became the pinnacle of the season, providing a series of championship races at which virtually all top horses would be targeted. With the introduction of sponsorship (starting with the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1957),

2090-474: The horses jumping over a variety of different obstacles that includes plain fences , water jump or an open ditch. Some of the biggest National Hunt events of the year in the UK are the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup . The National Hunt season primarily occurs during the winter months when softer ground conditions make jumping safer for horses. The horses are significantly cheaper compared to sport horses for other equestrian sports, reason being

2145-439: The house in Reims. This establishment is distinguished by a metallic façade resembling a mesh, a signature of the architect inspired by Champagne bubbles. The Piper-Heidsieck vineyard extends over more than 65 hectares, and the house sources grapes from 240 partner growers, spread across more than 110 crus. In 1995, the vat room was inaugurated with over 200 vats. In 1933, the Piper-Heidsieck house made its first appearance on

2200-458: The landscape threw in their way. The first recorded race of this nature is traditionally said to have taken place between the towns of Buttevant and Doneraile in the north of County Cork in 1752. The distance of the race was 4.5 miles (7.2 km). The start and finish were marked by the church steeple in each town, hence the term " steeplechase ". Point-to-point races, amateur steeplechases normally run on farmland, remain hugely popular in

2255-667: The list of Grade 1-3 National Hunt races and the list of Group 1-3 Flat races . The capital of National Hunt racing in the UK is Cheltenham Racecourse , in the Cotswolds , which hosts the Cheltenham Festival in the third week of March each year, as well as other important fixtures during the NH calendar. There are numerous well-known trainers operating in the Cotswolds including Jonjo O'Neill , Richard Phillips, Tom George, Nigel Twiston-Davies, and latterly Kim Bailey. The highlight of

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2310-707: The majority are geldings and have no breeding value. Jump Racing primarily takes place in France , Great Britain and Ireland , with some events also taking place in Australia , Canada and the United States . In Ireland, National Hunt racing receives much higher attendances than flat racing, while in Great Britain, it is more balanced, but the different seasons (there is little top-class flat racing in Britain from November to March) mean that most fans of

2365-479: The mêlée occurred is now named "Foinavon Fence"). Other NH races of note include the King George VI Chase , run at Kempton Park on 26 December and the Hennessy Gold Cup run at Newbury at the end of November. Hunter chases take place at national hunt racecourses but are only open to horses that have hunter certificates. Hunter certificates are issued to horses that have hunted for at least four days in

2420-464: 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. 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

2475-466: 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

2530-405: The record for the fastest time); Aldaniti (1981, ridden by Bob Champion shortly after he had recovered from cancer. His story was made into a film); and Foinavon (1967, won at odds of 100/1 after a mêlée at the 23rd fence resulted in the majority of the field falling or refusing. Foinavon was far enough behind at that point to avoid the confusion and ran on to win by 20 lengths. The fence where

2585-429: The same region and in many parts of rural Ireland and Great Britain , today. The first use of the term steeplechase on an official racecard was in Ireland in the early 19th century. The 'official' first running of the Grand National , held annually at Aintree in England, took place in 1839 and was won by an Irish horse, Lottery . The "National", as it is known, was run over 4.5 miles (7.2 km), but since 2013

2640-598: The season before racing starts in January. In addition, the jockey must be an amateur who has obtained a certificate from the hunt secretary. Unlike point-to-points , licensed trainers as well as amateur trainers may have runners in Hunter Chases. This often causes controversy when big name trainers run former Grade 1 horses in Hunter Chases as amateur trainers feel they are unable to compete. New rules which took effect in 2009, will prevent horses which have finished in

2695-421: The sport can enjoy both forms of racing at their pleasure. National Hunt horses are often bred for jumping, while others are former flat horses but they do not have to be Thoroughbreds : many French-bred jumpers are Selle Français or AQPS . Many horses begin their racing careers in amateur point-to-pointing where they compete over steeplechase races of three miles (4.8 km). The two main highlights of

2750-404: 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

2805-413: 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

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2860-400: Was abandoned in 1931 because of frost, and in 1937 because of flooding. It was cancelled in 1943 and 1944 because of World War II . The 1957 winner, Linwell, was trained by Ivor Herbert, a well-known racing journalist and so barred from holding a trainer's licence. Tied Cottage finished first in 1980, but was subsequently disqualified after testing positive for

2915-517: 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

2970-455: 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

3025-486: Was second in 2008 is also French bred. Races are graded depending on their health and mental status. The most prestigious are Grade 1, then Grade 2, Grade 3, Listed, Handicaps, to Bumpers the least prestigious. The more highly graded races attract more prize money and better horses. (In flat racing the more prestigious races are Group 1, 2, and 3, then Listed). All National Hunt races are also classified in classes 1-7 (class 1 best). Graded and listed races are class 1. See

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