Category: Cheltenham Festival

How many horses have won the Champion Hurdle three times?

The Champion Hurdle is, as the name suggests, is the two-mile hurdling championship and has been a fixture of the Cheltenham Festival since 1927. In its history, the Champion Hurdle has thrown up five three-time winners, all of whom, coincidentally, recorded three consecutive victories.

The first horse to complete a hat-trick in the Champion Hurdle was Hatton’s Grace, trained by Vincent O’Brien, in 1949, 1950 and 1951. He was immediately followed by the second, Sir Ken, who did likewise in 1952, 1953 and 1954. Next up was Persian War, trained by Willie Stephenson, in 1968, 1969 and 1970; the fourth highest-rated hurdler in the history of Timeform, he went on to finish second when attempting an unprecedented four-timer in 1971.

More recently, trainer Nicky Henderson managed to work the oracle with the talented, but fragile, See You Then, who was rarely seen outside the Cheltenham Festival, but completed a hat-trick in 1985, 1986 and 1987. Last, but by no means least, the second highest-rated hurdler in the history of Timeform, Istabraq, stood on the cusp of immortality in 2001, only for the Cheltenham Festival to be cancelled, in its entirety, due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Trained by an up-and-coming Aidan O’Brien, Istabraq had already completed a hat-trick in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and was odds-on to make it four in a row.

Has a horse won the Grand National, Champion Hurdle, and Cheltenham Gold Cup?

Has a horse won the Grand National, Champion Hurdle, and Cheltenham Gold Cup? The history of the Grand National dates back to 1839, while the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle were inaugurated in 1924 and 1927, respectively. However, in the best part of a century since the three races have co-existed, no horse has ever won all three. In fact, in all that time, just two horses have won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National and just one has won the Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

As far as the Cheltenham Gold Cup – Grand National double is concerned, the first horse to win both premier steeplechases was Golden Miller, who confirmed his ‘legendary’ status by winning both races in history in 1934; ‘The Miller’ remains the only horse to do so in the same season. In 1970 and 1971, L’Escargot recorded back-to-back victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and, four years later, as a 12-year-old, comfortably beat none other than Red Rum in the 1975 Grand National. The Champion Hurdle – Cheltenham Gold Cup double was completed by Dawn Run who, in 1984, became the second mare to win the Champion Hurdle and, two years later, entered racing folklore with a gutsy, rallying victory over Wayward Lad in the 1986 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Who is the leading owner in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup?

Who is the leading owner in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup? Unsurprisingly, the leading owner in the history of the Cheltenham was the owner of the most successful horse in the history of the ‘Blue Riband’ event, Golden Miller. Golden Miller achieved legendary status by winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup five years running between 1932 and 1936, but his owner, the Honourable Dorothy Paget, became almost as famous, or infamous, for her eccentric, often tyrannical behaviour. The richest unmarried woman in the country, at one point, Miss Paget would win the Cheltenham Gold Cup again with Roman Hackle in 1940 and Mont Tremblant in 1952, for a total of seven victories; her success did not prevent her being utterly difficult and falling out with her trainers on a regular basis.

Basil Briscoe, who trained Golden Miller to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup the first four times, was replaced by Owen Anthony after the horse tried to refuse and unseated rider in 1935 Grand National. Anthony, who also trained Roman Hackle, was sufficiently forthright to tell the largely nocturnal not to disturb him in the middle of the night, as was her custom. Fulke Walwyn, who trained Month Tremblant, on the other hand, found Miss Paget ‘so trying’.

What’s the course record for the Cheltenham Gold Cup?

The course record for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in its current guise – that is, run over a distance of 3 mile 2½ furlongs on the New Course at Prestbury Park – stands at 6:29.70. The record was set by the 6-year-old Long Run, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Sam Waley-Cohen, who, in 2011, won a vintage renewal of the ‘Blue Riband’ event, which featured previous winners Kauto Star, Denman and Imperial Commander, among others.

Surprisingly, though, the current course record does not represent the fastest winning time ever in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The 1941 winner, Poet Prince, ridden by Roger Burford – deputising for owner David Sherbrooke, who had been badly shaken in a fall the previous day – and trained by Ivor Anthony, clocked a remarkable 6:15.60. However, his win not only came at a time when the Cheltenham Gold Cup was still run on the Old Course, which is less of a stamina test than the New Course, but over a distance of just 3 miles.

A decade later, favourite Silver Fame clocked a time of 6:23.40 when edging out Greenogue, by a short head, in the 1951 renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, that race was notable for the fact that it was postponed until late April because of inclement weather and, while it was run over an advertised distance of ‘3¼ miles’, was staged, once again, on the Old Course.

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