Nov 2023
Stars Of The Coral Gold Cup
Stars of the Coral Gold Cup
The Coral Gold Cup weekend returns on Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd December | Discounted tickets available until Friday 24th November
Ahead of December’s Coral Gold Cup meeting we’re taking a trip down memory lane – recounting some of the stars to have won the meeting’s signature race over the years.
Read on for a nostalgia overload.
Stars of the Coral Gold Cup #1 – Mandarin (1957 & 1961)
1957 saw the race run for the first ever time – initially at Cheltenham. Mandarin won the inaugural running before the race moved to Newbury Racecourse in 1960.
Mandarin won the race for a second time in 1961 as a ten-year-old.
Mandarin was trained in Lambourn – by Fulke Walwyn – who remains the most successful trainer to date in the race with seven winners (Mandarin 1957, 1961, Taxidermist 1958, Mill House 1963, Man of the West 1968, Charlie Potheen 1972, Diamond Edge 1981).
Mandarin later went on to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1962 and the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris in the same year.
Watch Mandarin’s second success – in 1961 – by clicking the image below.
Stars of The Coral Gold Cup #2 – Arkle (1964 & 1965)
With an official rating of 212, Arkle’s Timeform rating makes him the highest rated steeplechaser of all time.
Trained in Ireland by Tom Dreaper for owner Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster, he is regarded as the greatest steeplechaser having won 24 of his 26 starts over fences, unbeaten in the 1962/63 season, and many extraordinary weight carrying feats in handicaps.
Two such feats came at Newbury in 1964 and 1965 when ridden by Pat Taaffe.
He first ran in the race in 1963, his first encounter with Mill House, the start of one of the great equine rivalries.
Having slipped on landing three out, Arkle had to settle for third in 1963. He reversed the form the following year and coasted to a 10-length victory.
In 1965 he started at 1-6 favourite and landed back-to-back victories, securing his second win by 15 lengths under 12st 7lb, giving his seven rivals 35lbs.
Take a look at Arkle in action by clicking the image below.
Stars of The Coral Gold Cup #3 – Denman (2007 & 2009)
Known affectionately to racegoers as ‘The Tank’, Denman was trained by Paul Nicholls.
He was the third horse in history to win Newbury’s feature race twice.
His first victory came in 2007 under Sam Thomas when he sauntered home to win by 11 lengths. Two years later, he had overcome a heart problem and carried a top weight of 11st 12lb, 13lb higher than his previous win.
Off a mark of 174, he was conceding 22lb to eventual runner up What A Friend.
Denman was ridden to victory in 2009’s vintage renewal by Ruby Walsh who regarded his second win as his “greatest ever performance.”
Having won 14 races from 24 starts including the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2008, Denman was one of the superstars during a golden era for Team Ditcheat alongside the likes of Kauto Star, Master Minded and Big Bucks.
Relive Denman’s magic below by clicking the image.
Stars of The Coral Gold Cup #4 – Mill House (1963)
Mill House provided Fulke Walwyn with his fourth win in the race in 1963 after winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup earlier that year.
It was a much anticipated first match with Arkle at Newbury and Mill House started 15/8 favourite, giving 5lb to Arkle.
Three fences from home the two were side by side before a rare jumping error from Arkle. A mistake which was highly debated as to whether it cost Arkle the race and enabled Mill House to go on and win by eight lengths.
Mill House went on to win a King George VI chase at Kempton and followed up with success in the Gainsborough Chase at Sandown.
Rewatch Mill House’s win by clicking the link below.
Stars of The Coral Gold Cup #5 – Burrough Hill Lad
Having won the Coral Welsh Grand National the previous year, Burrough Hill Lad provided trainer Jenny Pitman with her first win in the race and became the first female trainer to win the race.
Sent off 100/30 favourite at Newbury, Burrough Hill Lad recorded a fourth length victory under John Francome with the third placed horse a further 30 lengths behind.
He was the first horse since Mill House and Arkle to win carrying 12 stone.
He recorded wins in all five starts over fences in the 1983/84 season and went on to win races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and King George VI Chase.
Jenny Pitman is one of only three female trainers to win Newbury’s feature race alongside Venetia Williams who trained Teeton Mill to win in 1998 followed by Lavinia Taylor who won in 2002 with Gingembre.
Relive Burrough Hill Lad’s win by clicking the link below.
Stars of The Coral Gold Cup #6 – One Man
The hugely popular grey, One Man, won Newbury’s showpiece for trainer Gordon Richards under jockey Tony Dobbin.
The winner of 20 of his 35 career starts, he became one of the easiest winners of the races when pulling clear to win under only 10st.
Following his Newbury win, he went on to win the King George VI Chase in both 1995 and 1996 as well as the 1998 renewal of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Relive One Man’s win by clicking the link below.
Stars of The Coral Gold Cup #7 – Many Clouds
Trained in Lambourn by Oliver Sherwood, Many Clouds won the 2014 renewal of the race for owner Trevor Hemmings under jockey Leighton Aspell.
He provided Sherwood a second victory having trained Arctic Call to win the race in 1990 under Jamie Osborne.
An 8/1 shot, Many Clouds stayed on strongly to beat Houblon Des Obeaux into second by 3 ¼ lengths in his first season out of Novices.
Following his victory at Newbury he was disappointing in the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following March but went on to win the Grand National in April 2015, the first horse to win both the Newbury showpiece and Aintree Grand National.
Enjoy Many Clouds’ win by clicking the image below.
Stars of The Coral Gold Cup #8 – Native River (2016)
One of nine horses to have won the feature of Newbury’s National Hunt season as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Native River won 14 of his 32 careers starts.
Sent off 7/2 favourite under Richard Johnson, he landed the 60th running of the 3m ¼f chase for the Colin Tizzard yard. Following a thrilling battle on the run in with Carole’s Destrier, Native River held on by half a length to secure a first victory in the race for both the jockey and trainer.
It became a memorable day for the Tizzard team who had a treble on the day with Native River, Thistlecrack and Ultragold.
Enjoy Native River’s win by clicking the image below.
Discounted tickets are still available for the Coral Gold Cup – but only until Friday 24th November.
What’s more, further savings are available on top of these discounts courtesy of the Racecourse’s new group ticket offering, which entitles groups of seven or more racegoers to further discounts on top of the savings available for purchasing early – so the earlier a group books, and the bigger the group is, the more they save:
A group of 7-12 racegoers attending together – 10% discount
A group of 13-29 racegoers attending together – 15% discount
A group of 30+ racegoers attending together – 20% discount
