Who Are the Greatest Cheltenham Gold Cup Horses of All-Time?
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most prestigious jumps race in the sport. It takes place on the fourth day of the Cheltenham Festival, and it is run over a distance of 3m2½f.
Some of the best horses in history have been able to win this Blue Riband event in the sport. Here is a look at the greatest victors of all time.
Golden Miller Tops the List
With five consecutive wins between 1932 and 1936, Golden Miller dominated the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He is widely considered one of the greatest chasers in history, with success also coming in the Grand National in 1934.
In this year’s race, Galopin Des Champs will be bidding to join Golden Miller on the list of repeat winners. Those placing Cheltenham bets today can get odds of evens on the defending champion.
Willie Mullins’ Irish chaser heads the Gold Cup betting this year and looks the one to beat, however, even with a repeat victory, he would remain three successes behind Golden Miller in the all-time list. With the longevity required to even feature five different Cheltenham Festival meetings, it is hard to see his record being broken any time soon.
Golden Miller now has a statue near the parade ring at the Cheltenham Festival. It is a reminder of his great achievements in the sport.
Kauto Star, the Modern Great
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— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 1, 2019
With victories in the 2007 and 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cups, and a second-place finish in 2008, Kauto Star is one of the modern greats of the race. He became the first horse to regain his crown in the race in 2009.
Paul Nicholls’ runner was one of the most versatile chasers in history. He was successful over 2m in the early stages of his chase career, prevailing in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. The majority of his triumphs then came over 3m at Kempton where his pace was still effective.
Cheltenham is a course that was never likely to suit the French-bred horse, however, his class got him through on two occasions in the Festival feature. He was part of a great rivalry with his stablemate Denman in the back end of the 00s which helped increase the sport’s popularity greatly.
Arkle, the Highest-Rated Chaser
Three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Arkle remains the highest-rated chaser to prevail in the Cheltenham Festival contest. He was rated as high as 212, with 27 wins going his way from 35 starts.
Did you know that on this day in 1964, Arkle won his first Cheltenham Gold Cup beating the 8/13 favourite Mill House by 5 lengths!
Arkle went on to win two more Cheltenham Gold Cup’s in 1965 & 1966 ???? pic.twitter.com/tQBZFUnrRQ
— National Horseracing Museum (@NHRMuseum) March 7, 2021
The Irish horse won the race in three straight years between 1964 and 1966. Other major victories on his CV include the King George VI Chase, Irish Grand National, Punchestown Gold Cup, and Leopardstown Chase.
Trained by Tom Dreaper, Arkle produced some breathtaking performances at Cheltenham. He entered the British Steeplechasing Hall of Fame in 1994 and he is no doubt one of the best Gold Cup winners of any generation.
With so many talented chasers in training today on both sides of the Irish Sea, it may not be long before another horse adds its name alongside the above greats.