March 10th -14th 2009 sees the highlight of the National Hunt season and the perfect opportunity for hospitality at the Cheltenham Festival is the Cheltenham Gold Cup.Run over a distance of 3 miles and 2½ furlongs, it’s open to horses five-years-old or above.22 fences are jumped in the course of the race and the roll call of winners includes names that will be familiar to almost anyone: Arkle, Golden Miller or Desert Orchid. The Gold Cup is among the most valuable non-handicap chase events with a total prize fund of £450,000.
First run for the Cheltenham Gold Cup was July 1819. It was run on the flat over a distance of 3 miles for the princely sum of 100 guineas. March 12, 1924 was the first time the Gold Cup was run over jumps with a prize of £685 on offer.Abandoned in 1931 and 1937, the intervening years saw the emergence of the most successful horse in the event’s history. All five races from 1932 to 1936 were won by Golden Miller to add to his 1934 Grand National triumph.
In 1959 the Gold Cup was switched to Cheltenham’s “New Course”, which has been used for the event ever since. In the mid 1960s the race was dominated by Arkle who still holds the record for the shortest priced winner in the race’s history (1/10 in 1966 – you’d have had to spend a tenner to get £1 back!).The 1990 winner, Norton’s Coin, must surely hold the record for the longest ever winning price at 100/1.One of the most popular horses to win was the grey, Desert Orchid in 1989.
So even if you’re not a keen racing fan, the sheer spectacle makes Cheltenham in Festival week a magical location. Hospitality at the Cheltenham Festival will benefit from that incredible aura and atmosphere where 230,000 people will punt over £500 million on the outcome of all 26 races.
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February 4, 2009
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