6 Classic Cheltenham Gold Cup Memories

The Cheltenham Gold Cup has always been an important race in the National Hunt Calendar and some famous names have crossed the line to rapturous applause and celebration.

Here are some memories of some great winners of the blue riband event of jump racing from the Cheltenham Festival throughout the years
 

ARKLE COMPLETES A HAT-TRICK OF CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP WINS

Arkle has  his place in national hunt racing history following three consecutive Gold Cup wins from 1946-1966. He won a host of other top prizes in the sport also, including King George VI Chase (1965) Irish Grand National (1964) Hennessy Gold Cup (1964,1965) Leopardstown Chase (1964, 1965, 1966) Whitbread Gold Cup (1965) Gallagher Gold Cup (1965) Punchestown Gold Cup (1963) Powers Gold Cup (1963) He is emulated in bronze at Cheltenham, has stand and a race in his name too. Here he is wining the 65 and 66 Cheltenham Gold Cups

THE MICHEAL DICKINSON QUINTET IN THE 1983 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP

One of the most extraordinary training achievements in horse racing came in the Cheltenham Gold Cup 1983 when Michael Dickinson trained the first five horses home in the race. A feat that will surely never be repeated.
This just after his incredible Boxing Day 1982 feat of training 12 winners in a single day! He later moved to flat training for Robert Sangster before moving to the US to continue his incredible career
Here we can relive the moment when Micheal Dickinson saw five of his runner fill the first five places of the Cheltenham Gold Cup 1983

DAWN RUN WINS THE 1986 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP FOR THE MARES

Now here is an amazing horse, the only horse ever to complete the Champion hurdle treble, (English, Irish and French). She also remains the only one to ever complete a Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup double Here she is wining the 1986 Cheltenham Gold Cup 

DESERT ORCHID ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP WINNERS EVER 1989

National Hunt racing fans love a trier, and they didn't come much tougher than "Dessie" as he was affectionately known. Desert Orchid lived to an age of 27 and his ashes are buried at Kempton Racecourse, the venue of his 4 King George IV Stakes wins.
Enjoy his 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup success in front of 58,000 ecstatic fans

1990 NORTONS COIN WINS THE CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP AT 100/1 ODDS

Desert Orchid returned to Cheltenham a year later but could not regain his Gold Cup crown, it was to be 100/1 shock winner Nortons Coin' s day.  Not only does he hold the record for the biggest price winner of the Gold Cup he is only the second winner to have been trained in Wales. Desert Orchid was sent off favourite but finished only third
Relive the moment when 100/1 history was made in the Cheltenham Gold Cup 1990

KAUTO STAR REGAINS THE 2009 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP

There would have few days at Cheltenham that would have heard the noise from the crowd, even from those already mentioned, that would equal nor better that which greeted Kauto Star as he came up the hill at Cheltenham to regain the Gold Cup crown he had won in 2007 and relinquished to another great, Denman, a year previously.
This was billed like a major boxing title fight and so it turned out, Kauto Star did what no other jump horse had done in history in regaining a formerly lost Cheltenham Gold Cup title

MORE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL RECORDS IN 2014?

Bobs Worth will be attempting to win the Gold Cup for the second year running after landing the 2013 race and in the OLBG Mares Hurdle on the Tuesday of the Festival Quevega will be attempting to win an unprecedented 6th consecutive race at Cheltenham.