How many times did Martin Pipe win the Paddy Power Gold Cup?

Inaugurated, as the Mackeson Gold Cup, in 1960 and known by that name until 1995, the Paddy Power Gold Cup is, nowadays, a ‘Premier Handicap’ steeplechase run over two and a half miles on the slightly sharper Old Course at Cheltenham Racecourse. Worth £150,000 in guaranteed prize money, the Paddy Power Gold Cup is the feature race of the three-day November Meeting at Prestbury Park.

To readers of a certain age, Martin Pipe requires little or no introduction. However, for those unfamiliar with the name, Pipe revolutionised the art of training racehorses, winning the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship 15 times, including 10 consecutive titles between 1995/96 and 2004/05, before retiring, due to ill-health, at the end of the 2005/06.

Among his other achievements, two decades after his retirement, Pipe remains, by some margin, the most successful trainer in the history of the Paddy Power Gold Cup. All told, the erstwhile Master of Pond House saddled eight winners, starting with Beau Ranger, ridden by Mark Perrett, back in 1987.

Then followed Challenger Du Luc (1996), ridden by Richard Dunwoody. Cyfor Malta (1998), Lady Cricket (2000) and Shooting Light (2001), all of whom were ridden by Sir Anthony McCoy, and Cyfor Malta (2002) again, although he was ridden on the latter occasion by Barry Geraghty. Pipe completed his octet of winners with Celestial Gold (2004) and Our Vic (2005), both of whom were ridden by Timmy Murphy and, like Challenger Du Luc, Cyfor Malta and Lady Cricket, owned by the Johnson Family.