What was the 1-2-3 in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup?

The running of the Blue Riband event of the Cheltenham Festival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, is always a memorable. However, the 1989 renewal was particularly noteworthy for arguably the greatest achievement in the 70-race career of the popular, front-running grey Desert Orchid. “Dessie”, as he was affectionately known, arrived at Cheltenham on March 16, 1989 unbeaten in six races since a five-length defeat by Pearlyman in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the previous Cheltenham Festival.

It was, perhaps, testament to his popularity that, despite having shown a marked preference for right-handed tracks and supposedly being unsuited by the prevailing going, turned heavy by snow and rain, Desert Orchid was sent off 5/2 favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Irish Gold Cup winner Carvill’s Hill, trained at the time by Jim Dreaper, was his nearest market rival at 5/1, but in the end it proved to be the largely unconsidered Yahoo, trained by John Edwards, with whom he fought out the finished.

A confirmed mudlark, Yahoo was nonetheless sent off at 25/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and looked likely to provide a favourable result for the bookmakers when taking the lead from Desert Orchid approaching the second-last fence. However, galvanised by jockey Simon Sherwood, Desert Orchid rallied gamely under pressure, regained the lead in the final hundred yards and forged ahead to win by a length and a half. As a footnote, over three decades after he ran his last race, Desert Orchid remains the sixth-highest top-rated steeplchaser in the history of Timeform.