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Interested in the previous Cheltenham Gold Cup winners and other Gold Cup trends? Check out this rundown ahead of the 2023 event.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners and Trends – A Historical View
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You are probably quite aware of the fact that the Cheltenham Gold Cup is rapidly approaching. Of course, despite the Cheltenham Festival playing host to many Grace One races, this certainly takes the title of the biggest of the bunch. It’s the one that all of the jockeys want to win, yet only one can cross the line in first place. Needless to say, that’s a challenge that is definitely easier said than done. However, when you look back at previous Gold Cup winners, it would seem that some have found the secret sauce for victory.
Furthermore, if you’re interested in making a bet on the upcoming 2023 Gold Cup, it’s useful to know about some of the Gold Cup trends as well. But before we get that, let us take a walk down memory lane and identify some of the most famous Cheltenham Gold Cup winners.
Iconic Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners
Given that the Gold Cup dates back to 1924, you probably don’t want to see the entire list of winners. That’s why we’ve chosen to focus on the most famous Gold Cup winners that you can read up on right here.
Most Successful Horse – Golden Miller
The most successful horse to have ever competed in the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Golden Miller. As it happens, this horse stands alone with 5 Gold Cup titles under his belt. But even more amazing than the number of wins – it’s the fact that he won five Gold Cup races in a row that makes him a true legend of the event. This occurred between 1932 and 1936 – quite a while ago!
Most Successful Jockey – Pat Taafe
It goes without saying that to win a Gold Cup, it’s not all down to the horse. In fact, you need a talented jockey in the saddle if you have any chance of winning this event. And the most successful jockey of all time is a man named Pat Taafe. He won the Gold Cup four times in his career, which included a hat-trick in the saddle with Arkle (1964-1966).
Horses That Have Managed a Hat-Trick
To give you an idea of how difficult it is to win the Gold Cup, just four horses have ever completed the hat trick. As mentioned earlier, Golden Miller stands alone with 5 wins. But this horse is joined by three others who also managed to win the Gold Cup three times in a row. The most recent of these was Best Mate, who dominated the Gold Cup from 2002-2004.
You can view the full list of hat-trick winners here:
- Golden Miller – 5 wins
- Cottage Rake – 3 wins
- Arkle – 3 wins
- Best Mate – 3 wins
Gold Cup Trends to Take Note Of – Last 10 Winners
When making a wager or two on the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it is a good tactic to read up on Gold Cup trends. These help to give you an idea of which horses you should be backing when the next race comes around. And if you look back through the previous 10 winners of this event, there are a few key trends worth noting:
Aged 9 or Below
The Gold Cup is only open to horses that are aged 5 years and up. However, there is no exact ceiling on how old a horse can be to compete. With that said, one of the most significant trends in recent times is that all of the winners have been aged 9 or below.
Previously Won at Least 1 Grade One Race
Just to clarify once more, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade One event. This is the highest possible grade in horse racing, hence the strength of the participants that come to the track each year. As for the trends in regard to G1 races, each of the last 10 winners has won at least one Grade One event prior to the Gold Cup.
Had Achieved a First Place Finish on Left-Hand Track Before
In long-distance horse racing, you can have a right-hand track or a left-hand track. And many pundits will tell you that the direction of the track can help or hinder various horses. On that note, another interesting trend is that all the last 10 winners have achieved a first-place finish on a left-hand track before. This has some bearing in terms of experience for the horse and jockey.
Competed in at Least 3 Chases
Speaking of experience, the last of the four Gold Cup trends we wish to highlight relates to the number of chases the horse has completed in. As you can see, all of the last 10 winners have participated in at least three chases before winning the Gold Cup.
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