As the build-up to the Cheltenham Festival gathers pace, records and milestones from the Gold Cup are never far from the conversation. Spring festival talking points always include standout moments from this iconic race.
The Gold Cup is the biggest prize in jump racing in Britain and Ireland, and timing is part of what makes it so special. Over a testing three-and-a-quarter miles on Cheltenham’s New Course, the fastest winners have carved their names into history with quick times, great performances from horse, jockey and trainer, and sometimes surprising results.
Here are the quickest Gold Cup winning times ever recorded.
Poet Prince
Poet Prince holds the record for the fastest Cheltenham Gold Cup winning time of all. He won the 1941 renewal in 6 minutes and 15.6 seconds – a mark that has never been beaten. Ridden by Roger Burford and trained by Ivor Anthony, he went to post at 7/2 in a competitive wartime field.
The race took place during the Second World War and was run on Cheltenham’s old course rather than the New Course used today. Conditions were unusually quick for March, and the pace was strong from an early stage. Poet Prince pulled clear of Savon and Red Rower to win decisively.
Red Rower
Just four years later, Red Rower came close to matching Poet Prince’s record. He won the 1945 Gold Cup in 6 minutes and 16.2 seconds – only fractions slower. Red Rower had already shown his liking for the race, having finished second in 1941, and returned as the 11/4 favourite.
Owned by Lord Stalbridge, who also trained him, Red Rower was ridden with confidence and control. He beat Schubert and Paladin in a well-run race that again benefitted from good ground and an honest gallop. His time remains the second fastest in Gold Cup history.
Long Run
Long Run produced the fastest Gold Cup winning time on the New Course in 2011, stopping the clock at 6 minutes and 29.7 seconds. Trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, he went off favourite in a high-quality renewal.
What made the performance so striking was the opposition he beat. Kauto Star and Denman, two legends of the race, filled the places behind him. Long Run travelled smoothly, jumped accurately and stayed strongly up the hill to set a new benchmark.
Looks Like Trouble
Looks Like Trouble set a new standard at the turn of the millennium when he won the 2000 Gold Cup in 6 minutes and 30.3 seconds. Ridden by Richard Johnson and trained by Noel Chance, he started at 9/2 rather than as a short-priced favourite.
He crossed the line five lengths clear. His winning time was the fastest recorded on the New Course at the time and remained the benchmark for more than a decade. It was a defining moment for horse, jockey and trainer.
Norton’s Coin
Norton’s Coin’s Gold Cup victory in 1990 remains one of the most remarkable results the race has ever produced. He won in 6 minutes and 30.9 seconds despite being sent off at 100/1. Trained and ridden by Sirrel Griffiths, a Welsh dairy farmer, he arrived at Cheltenham with little attention from the wider racing public.
Once the race was run, the result was decisive. Norton’s Coin beat pre-race favourite Desert Orchid, who finished third, and Toby Tobias, who was second.