Paddy Power Gold Cup

2006 report

Paddy Power Make Don't Push It Favourite for The Paddy Power Gold Cup as Entries Revealed

racing_news/

Knowhere Bound for Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham
26/10/07

Knowhere, winner of the Pyments Quantity Surveyors Handicap Chase at Cheltenham at the weekend, is set for a return trip to Prestbury Park for a crack at the £120,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, a race in which he fell last year, run on Saturday, November 17, day two of The Open 2007.

2006 winner Exotic Dancer
© racing-images.co.uk

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, who has enjoyed a fantastic last few weeks, including bagging five winners at Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting, said today: "Knowhere is being targeted at the Paddy Power Gold Cup. He was very unlucky to bump into Exotic Dancer in the boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December and deserved his victory the other day."

The nine-year-old produced a courageous performance under top weight in the extended two and a half mile contest, staying on in determined style to edge out Maljimar by a neck, and will bid to give Twiston-Davies a second success in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, following Tipping Tim in 1992.

He continued: "We were chuffed to bits with him. He jumped well and it was quite a performance considering he gave the best part of two stone to the runner-up.

"Paddy [Brennan] was very pleased with him. He has come out of his race fine and is in good form."

Another who impressed for the Twiston-Davies stable at The Showcase was exciting six-year-old Imperial Commander, placed in Grade One company over hurdles, who came home the emphatic 16-length winner of the Lady Angela Rooker Beginner’s Chase on his fencing debut under Rules.

The Naunton handler commented: "Imperial Commander still has a bit to prove over fences, but he did it very well. He didn’t have to beat very much and was good over hurdles. He only made one mistake although that is nothing to worry about.

"We will enter him over two and a half miles and three miles at The Open. Time will tell what his best trip is. I hope he continues to progress. He could be a Gold Cup horse - you always dream!"

Twiston-Davies also had news of his other winners at The Showcase, Tramantano, who made light of a 656-day absence to take the Tiger Developments Novices’ Chase, Ardaghey, who landed the Showcase Handicap Chase, and Jewson Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final victor Platin Grounds.

He added: "Tramantano is not the soundest of horses and his win gave me a lot of pleasure. He showed a fine turn of foot and has always been very good. We are hoping for good things with him.

"He could go for the Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase, which we won with Fundamentalist a few years ago. We also have Mahogany Blaze as a possible too. Both are nice horses.

"Platin Grounds could also go to The Open, although we haven’t decided on his target. Another who could feature is Baron Windrush in the Servo Computer Services Handicap Chase. As for Ardaghey, we are looking to the Hennessy with him."

The Open at Cheltenham features three days of high-class Jump racing, taking place on Friday, November 16, Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18.

Friday, November 16 is Countryside Day, with a traditional country fair atmosphere plus a dressage display, hound parades and over 80 trade stands offering something for everyone.

The racing features the £35,000 Anglo Irish Bank Private Banking Novices’ Hurdle, run over an extended two miles, as well as the £35,000 Cross Country Steeple Chase, run over three miles, seven furlongs on the unique cross country course and won last year for the third time by remarkable veteran Spot Thedifference.

The £120,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup, run over an extended two and a half miles, is the centrepiece of the three-day meeting on Saturday, November 17.

Saturday also includes the £60,000 Servo Computer Services Trophy, run over an extended three miles, three furlongs.

The action on Sunday, November 18, features the £100,000 Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, run over an extended two miles, the £50,000 paddypower.com Handicap Chase over two miles, and the £45,000 Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase over two miles.

PADDY POWER GOLD CUP HISTORY

The Paddy Power Gold Cup is a great race with an illustrious history. The 2m 4.5f contest was first run in 1960 and the race has seen many well-known chasers in action.

Our Vic provided Martin Pipe with his eighth Paddy Power Gold Cup success last year when the seven-year-old, partnered by Timmy Murphy, came home two and a half lengths clear of Monkerhostin.

Martin Pipe's superb record had previously seen him win the Paddy Power Gold Cup with Beau Ranger (1987), Challenger Du Luc (1996), Cyfor Malta (1998 & 2002), Lady Cricket (2000), Shooting Light (2001) and Celestial Gold (2004).

However, Pipe will not be adding to that tally this year, having announced his retirement from the training ranks on the final day of last season. It will be up to his son David, who has taken over the reins at Pond House in Somerset, to continue the family tradition in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

In 2002 the Pipe-trained Cyfor Malta, a horse whose racing career had been dogged by injury problems, stormed back to the form he had shown in his younger days with a second win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup - four years after his initial success in the first big handicap chase of the season.

This made him the fifth horse to win the race twice, following Fortria (1960 and 1962), Gay Trip (1969 and 1971), Half Free (1984 and 1985) and Bradbury Star (1993 and 1994).

Shooting Light was brilliantly ridden by champion jockey Tony McCoy to defeat 13 talented chasers in 2001.

Lady Cricket was impressive when scoring by 10 lengths from stable companion Exit Swinger in 2000, with another five lengths back to the third in a 15-strong field. The enigmatic Challenger Du Luc scored a cheeky head success over Strong Promise in 1996 while in 1987 Beau Ranger came home 15 lengths in front under Mark Perrett.

One of the best performances since the inaugural running came in 1965 from Dunkirk, who carried a massive 12st 7lb to victory and there have been plenty of other memorable renewals.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup has been won by Irish-trained horses on four occasions. Fortria took the initial running and was successful for a second time two years later in 1962.

The Irish had to wait for more than a decade for a further winner, which came in the shape of Skymas in 1973, and Bright Highway was the last successful horse from the Emerald Isle in 1980, when winning by seven lengths.

Gay Trip's two victories formed part of Fred Rimell's extraordinary training feat when he sent out the winner four years in a row. Jupiter Boy in 1968 and Chatham in 1970 completed Rimell's quartet. Gay Trip won the Grand National in 1970, in between his Cheltenham successes

Celestial Gold proved his stamina with a subsequent one and a half length victory over Ollie Magern in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, which saw him become the fourth horse, along with Red Candle (1972), Bachelor's Hall (1977) and Bright Highway (1980), to add the Newbury prize to his Cheltenham victory.

Two and a half mile specialists like the dual-winner Half Free, handled by Fred Winter who trained three winners of the race, and Dublin Flyer (1995) have triumphed, while Skymas (1973) won the Queen Mother Champion Chase twice.

Tony McCoy is the most successful current jockey in the Paddy Power Gold Cup with three victories. The record-breaking rider triumphed on Cyfor Malta in 1998 and followed up two years later aboard Lady Cricket. He went on to secure a third success in 2001 on Shooting Light.

Following Shooting Light's victory, McCoy joined Richard Linley and Richard Dunwoody who both achieved three victories in the race during their riding careers, as the most successful jockeys in the history of the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Linley was victorious on Fifty Dollars More in 1982 and Half Free in 1984 and 1985, while Dunwoody gained his wins on Very Promising in 1986, Another Coral in 1991 and Challenger Du Luc in 1996.

The popularity of Cheltenham's Open Meeting increases each year with the Irish. One of the great strengths of the three days is the relationship which draws Irish-trained horses and racegoers.

Both Cheltenham and Paddy Power are keen to continue this tradition. Last year there were 61 Irish runners over the three days, including four winners.

What they now want is an Irish victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, with the last one having been achieved 26 years ago. In the 1990s Toranfield (1991) and Second Schedual (1994) came second and Anabatic was fourth in 1996, while Feathered Leader finished third in 2000.

FACTS ABOUT PADDY POWER GOLD CUP AND THE OPEN

This year sees the 47th renewal of the first major contest of the National Hunt season, the Paddy Power Gold Cup. The race, run under its present title for the first time in 2003, was known as the Thomas Pink Gold Cup from 2000-2002 while Whitbread, under their Mackeson brand and then subsequently Murphys, backed the first 40 runnings.

****
Since the inaugural running in 1960, the contest has been won by Irish-trained horses on four occasions. Fortria won the first running and was successful for a second time two years later in 1962. The Irish had to wait for more than a decade for a further winner which came in the shape of Skymas in 1973, and Bright Highway was the last successful horse from the Emerald Isle in 1980.

****
Over the three days of The Open last season, there were four Irish-trained winners from 61 runners - 30 more than in 2004 - including Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase victor Accordion Etoile, who had also won at the meeting the previous year in the Greatwood Hurdle.

****
Five horses have won the Paddy Power Gold Cup twice. Fortria was the first, then Gay Trip completed the double in 1969 and 1971, with his victory in the 1970 Grand National sandwiched in between. Half Free was successful in 1984 and the following year, while Bradbury Star achieved this magnificent feat for Findon-based handler Josh Gifford in 1993 and 1994. Cyfor Malta, the 1998 winner, triumphed four years later in 2002.

****
Martin Pipe, now retired, has been the leading trainer in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, having saddled an amazing eight winners - Beau Ranger (1987), Challenger Du Luc (1996), Cyfor Malta (1998 & 2002), Lady Cricket (2000) , Shooting Light (2001), Celestial Gold (2004) and Our Vic (2005). No current trainer has landed the prize more than once.

****
Despite the competitiveness of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, it is not a race for outsiders. 31 of the 46 runnings of the contest have been won by horses returned at odds of 15/2 or less. However, the overall record of favourites is not that great, with only 13 having been successful during the history of the race, though four of the last six runnings have gone to the market leaders, with the latest being Our Vic last year. The shortest-priced winner in the history of this prestigious contest was Dunkirk who went off the 11/10 favourite in 1965, while the two longest-priced horses were Chatham (1970) and Senor El Betrutti (1997), both returned at 33/1.

****
Perhaps the greatest performance in the history of the contest was achieved by Dunkirk. The Domaha gelding carried a staggering 12st 7lb to victory when he gained his 1965 success.

****
The incomparable Arkle made his British racecourse bow in the Honeybourne Chase on the Saturday of The Open meeting 44 years ago. It was a fantastic day for Arkle’s trainer and jockey, Tom Dreaper and Pat Taaffe, who, following Arkle’s impressive destruction of the opposition by 20 lengths, went on to land what is now the Paddy Power Gold Cup with Fortria.
****
Best Mate, the latest horse to win three totesport Cheltenham Gold Cups, won the second chase of his career at The Open 2000, while the 2003 Smurfit Champion Hurdle victor Rooster Booster defied top weight to win the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle in 2002. The 2001 Greatwood Hurdle winner Westender was second to Rooster Booster in the 2003 Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

****
The Open has only once been held at an alternative venue to Prestbury Park. In 1976 a new drainage system was being installed at Cheltenham, so the then two-day meeting was switched to Haydock Park where Cancello became the only horse to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup anywhere but Cheltenham.

****
Josh Gifford is the only man to have both ridden and trained a winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup, partnering Charlie Worcester to victory in 1967 and training Bradbury Star for his successes in 1993 and 1994.