THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE

More documents

Recommendations

Info

TIMICO Don Cossack ridden by Bryan Cooper celebrates winning in 2016 CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP Chasing’s early days were dominated by the Grand National, the calendar’s richest prize and most famous spectacle and betting medium. The best performers were expected to appear at Aintree even though, with the National being a handicap, they would be conceding weight, usually unsuccessfully, to inferior rivals. The founding in 1860 of the National Hunt Chase did not really impinge on the Grand National’s attraction – it was valuable, but could not match the Aintree purse – but the transfer to Cheltenham in the early 20th century led to that venue’s establishment as a major player in the sport. The National Hunt Chase found a permanent home at Cheltenham’s March meeting in 1911, and from then on the meeting grew to become the modern-day Festival. There was not in those days a conditions race for the top staying chasers and the forward-thinking Cheltenham executive, under the leadership of Frederick Cathcart, determined to fill the gap in the racing calendar. In 1924 the Cheltenham Gold Cup was inaugurated over three and a quarter miles in order to attract the best staying chasers a month before they tackled Aintree. At that stage, it was envisaged as a level-weights trial, rather than a championship event, and its first running, worth £685 to the winner, ranked the Cheltenham Gold Cup below both the National Hunt Chase (£1,285) and National Hunt Handicap Chase (£833) in value at the March meeting. The Gold Cup, though, steadily grew in importance and, after the Second World War, became the main objective of the best staying chasers in Britain and Ireland and continues to be. The contest also increased in value 26
Cheltenham Media Guide <strong>2017</strong> and turned into the richest race at The Festival in March, 1946 and the winner Prince Regent earned £1,130 against Prattler’s £1,036 for the National Hunt Chase. In 1972, when Piper Heidsieck became the first sponsor of the Gold Cup, the value of the first prize almost doubled, jumping from £7,995 to £15,255. The Tote took over the sponsorship in 1980 and remained the backer, latterly under the totesport and Betfred banners, until 2015. Timico backed the race for the first time in 2016 and the total prize fund currently stands at £575,000, making the Gold Cup by far the richest non-handicap chase in Britain – only the £1-million Randox Health Grand National at Aintree is worth more. The winner in <strong>2017</strong> will take home £327,462. In the post-war years, if any Gold Cup winner did go on to the National, it was an afterthought. And the shift in the balance of power caused a change to chasers themselves. Out went the ‘Aintree type’, generally massive but relatively slow Irish halfbreds; in came a lighter, faster model. Training methods and riding styles were changing, too, with the increasing emphasis of racing on park courses and the growth in popularity of hurdle racing. With two notable exceptions, the prewar Gold Cup winners were relatively moderate. But what the first running in 1924 lacked in class, it made up for as a spectacle. Three horses, five-year-old Red Splash and the veterans Conjuror II and Gerald L, were in the air together at the last and in that order were split by a head and a neck at the line. The second and third were both previous Festival winners; Conjuror (third in the 1923 Grand National) had won the 1922 National Hunt Chase and Gerald L the 1920 National Hunt Handicap Chase. The two outstanding horses of the early Gold Cup era were dual winner Easter Hero (1929-30) and Golden Miller, with an unprecedented five victories from 1932. In terms of sheer class, the pair must still be considered in an all-time chasers’ top 10. Easter Hero, a bright chestnut who exuded an unusual quality for his time, changed owners and trainers several times during his career. When he won his Gold Cups, he carried the colours of Jock Whitney (later the American ambassador to London), who had acquired him after his former owner Alfred Lowenstein fell out of his plane on a cross-channel flight, and was trained by Jack Anthony. A quick, clean jumper, Ester Hero won his Gold Cups easily by 20 lengths. On the first occasion, he beat Lloydie, with Grakle third; on the second he was left clear of Grakle (who never won a Gold Cup in four attempts but took the 1931 Grand National) after Gib, level with him but under pressure, came down two fences out. It was at Aintree, though, that Easter Hero produced his best performance. He had turned the Grand National into a shambles in 1928 when he slipped in the lead at the Canal Turn and took most of the field out as he straddled the obstacle. In 1929, on atrocious ground, he carried 12st 7lb and beat all his 65 rivals bar Gregalach, who was himself a high-class performer and received 17lb. Easter Hero raced for the last mile with one of his hind shoes twisted into the shape of a letter S, which must have acted like a drag anchor and severely impeded his progress. Golden Miller also crowned his career at Aintree, but with victory. Just 17 days after his third Cheltenham success in 1934, he became the first and only horse to win the Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same year. The only other horse to win both races, L’Escargot, won at Cheltenham in 1970 and 1971 and at Aintree in 1975. Incidentally, when Golden Miller won the National, he neither started favourite nor carried top-weight. His starting price was 8/1, a point longer than 7/1 market leader, and he shouldered 12st 2lb, below seventhplaced Gregalach (12st 7lb) and Thomond II (12st 4lb) third. He ran in four other Grand Nationals but did not get around in any of them, while in 1935 he started the 2/1 market leader, the shortest price ever of any runner in the history of the famous Aintree race. Throughout his career, Golden Miller was subject to the caprices of his eccentric millionairess owner Dorothy Paget, Whitney’s cousin. He had four different riders for his five Gold Cup victories (Ted Leader (1932), Billy Stott (1933), Gerry Wilson (1934 & 35), Evan Williams (1936)) and by his fifth he had made the transfer from Basil Briscoe’s yard to that of Owen Anthony. It was with Whitney-owned Thomond that Golden Miller had his greatest Gold Cup duel. In 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1936 he had scored clear victories (from Inverse, Thomond, Avenger and Royal Mail respectively) but in 1935 he had to fight all the way. There were only five runners – Southern Hero, Avenger and Kellsboro’ Jack were the others - but they were five of the best and it proved an epic contest. Golden Miller and Thomond, with Billy Speck in the saddle, went past the leader Southern Hero, who had set a strong pace, in the air three out and went down the hill side by side. Golden Miller, big and lazy, was being rousted; Thomond, small and impetuous, still restrained. Two out they were together, but going to the last Golden Miller’s massive stride was beginning to tell. Speck asked Thomond up early at the last and the brave little horse responded, landing level. Up the final hill, no quarter was asked or given and in a finish arguably only matched in emotion by Desert Orchid’s victory over Yahoo 54 years later, Golden Miller prevailed by three quarters of a length. Afterwards, Speck said to Wilson: “A grand race, mate. And when we are old, we can sit back in our chairs and tell them that we did ride at least one day in our lives”. Poignantly, Speck never got the chance. He died after breaking his back in a fall at Cheltenham the following month and his funeral procession through the town was two miles long. Two Grand National defeats of the 1946 Gold Cup winner Prince Regent 27
Page 1 and 2: THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE
Page 3 and 4: WELCOME The build-up to this year
Page 5 and 6: A general view of the Vestey Bar at
Page 7 and 8: BRITISH RACING HAS A DUTY OF CARE T
Page 9 and 10: BETBRIGHT PRESTBURY CUP BRITAIN VER
Page 11 and 12: THE MCCOYS RECOGNISING JUMP RACING
Page 13 and 14: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 mile co
Page 15 and 16: JON RICHARDSON THE OLD MAN 7th OCTO
Page 17 and 18: ARKLE FACTS Form figures; 341104-11
Page 19 and 20: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 1997 A
Page 21 and 22: INCREDIBLE UNMISSABLE £10 FREE NO
Page 23 and 24: laying plans for the 12 months ahea
Page 25: THE FESTIVAL IN FIGURES Cheltenham
Page 29 and 30: CALL US FOR CHELTENHAM BETTING NEWS
Page 31 and 32: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 TIMICO
Page 33 and 34: Queen’s Prize at Kempton Park and
Page 35 and 36: Eborneezer (1961) and trained Bula
Page 37 and 38: Cheltenham Media Guide 2017 37
Page 39 and 40: THE FIRST RACE AT THE CHELTENHAM FE
Page 41 and 42: The only horse since to have won th
Page 43 and 44: CHELTENHAM & SOUTH WEST SYNDICATE S
Page 45 and 46: ecognised start of the race that is
Page 47 and 48: WE ’ RE NOT HORSING AROUND PROUD
Page 49 and 50: short history, with three wins apie
Page 51 and 52: LEADING JOCKEYS AT THE FESTIVAL Rub
Page 53 and 54: William Alexander Baring Bingham, w
Page 55 and 56: at Cheltenham for 26 years altogeth
Page 57 and 58: of supporting races. The first Coun
Page 59 and 60: Bookmakers in front of the See You

THE FESTIVAL 2017 MEDIA GUIDE

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?