December Gold Cup

Steeplechase horse race in Britain

Horse race

December Gold CupClass| Premier Handicap

|

Location| Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham, England
Inaugurated| 1963
Race type| Steeplechase
Sponsor| Nyetimber
Website| Cheltenham
Race information
Distance| 2m 4f 127y (4,139 metres)
Surface| Turf
Track| Left-handed
Qualification| Four-years-old and up
Weight| Handicap
Purse| £125,000 (2024)
1st: £71,188
December Gold Cup  2024

|  |
Gemirande  | Madara  | Fugitif
Previous years

2023
|  |
Fugitif  | Il Ridoto  | Frero Banbou
2021
|  |
Coole Cody  | Zanza  | Midnight Shadow
2020
|  |
Chatham Street Lad  | Midnight Shadow  | Benatar
2019
|  |
Warthog  | Spiritofthegames  | Robin Des Foret
2018
|  |
Frodon  | Cepage  | Guitar Pete
2017
|  |
Guitar Pete  | Clan Des Obeaux  | King's Odyssey
2016
|  |
Frodon  | Aso  | Village Vic
2015
|  |
Village Vic  | Champagne West  | Tenor Nivernais
2014
|  |
Niceonefrankie  | Barrakilla  | Edgardo Sol
2013
|  |
Double Ross  | Cantlow  | Colour Squadron
2012
|  |
Unioniste  | Walkon  | Golden Chieftain
2011
|  |
Quantitativeeasing | Medermit  | Roudoudou Ville
2010-2001

2010
|  |
Poquelin  | Great Endeavour  | Sunnyhillboy
2009
|  |
Poquelin  | Razor Royale  | Skippers Brig
2007
|  |
Tamarinbleu  | Le Volfoni  | Patman Du Charmil
2006
|  |
Exotic Dancer  | Knowhere  | Taranis
2005
|  |
Sir Oj  | Le Passing  | Lacdoudal
2004
|  |
Monkerhostin  | Thisthatandtother | Europa
2003
|  |
Iris Royal  | Risk Accessor  | Telemoss
2002
|  |
Fondmort  | Foly Pleasant  | Youlneverwalkalone
2000-1991

2000
|  |
Go Roger Go  | Robbo  | Connor Macleod
1999
|  |
Legal Right  | Nordance Prince  | Irbee
1998
|  |
Northern Starlight  | Simply Dashing  | Mr Strong Gale
1997
|  |
Senor El Betrutti  | Challenger du Luc  | Bells Life
1996
|  |
Addington Boy  | Go Universal  | Northern Hide
1994
|  |
Dublin Flyer  | Nuaffe  | Southolt
1993
|  |
Fragrant Dawn  | Young Hustler  | Freeline Finishing
1992
|  |
Another Coral  | Second Schedual  | Tipping Tim
1991
|  |
Kings Fountain  | Another Coral  | Ida's Delight
1990-1987

1989
|  |
Clever Folly  | Welsh Oak  | Barnbrook Again
1988
|  |
Pegwell Bay  | Beau Ranger  | Oregon Trail
1987
|  |
Bishops Yarn  | Music Be Magic  | Raise An Argument

The December Gold Cup (run since 2024 as the Nyetimber December Gold Cup) is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs (2 miles 4 furlongs and 127 yards, or 4,139 metres), and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December.

The event was first run in 1963. It was originally sponsored by Massey Ferguson and known as the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup. The race continued with this title until 1980, but since then it has had various sponsors and consequently several title changes. The 2005 running was named the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup. This was in memory of Robin Cook (1946–2005), a former Foreign Secretary who was a keen racing enthusiast. Boylesports supported the race from 2006 to 2009 as the Boylesports.com Gold Cup. The 2010 race was run as the Vote A P Gold Cup as part of a successful campaign to encourage racegoers to vote for Tony McCoy in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. In 2011 the racehorse owner Andy Stewart began backing the race to promote the Spinal Research charity, following a spinal injury suffered by his son Paul in 2008. The race was run as the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup in 2011, the Paul Stewart IronSpine Charity Challenge Gold Cup in 2012 and was then named the Stewart Family Thank You Gold Cup in 2013. From 2014 to 2020 it was run as the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup and in 2021 it was titled the Racing Post Gold Cup. The race has become commonly known in the racing media as the December Gold Cup.[1] and in 2022 Ais took over sponsorship and the word December appeared in the official race title. Nyetimber have sponsored the race since 2023. The race was give Grade 3 status when the National Hunt Pattern was revised in 1989 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2022 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the BHA.[2]

The race is often contested by horses which ran previously in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (also formerly known by other titles). Three have won both races in the same season – Pegwell Bay, Senor El Betrutti and Exotic Dancer.

## Records

[edit]

Most successful horse (2 wins) :

* Poquelin – (2009),(2010)
* Frodon - (2016, 2018)

Leading jockey (3 wins):

* Richard Johnson – Legal Right (1999), Monkerhostin (2004) Village Vic (2015)

Leading trainer (5 wins):

* Paul Nicholls – Poquelin (2009, 2010), Unioniste (2012), Frodon (2016, 2018)

## Winners

[edit]

* Weights given in stones and pounds.

Year  | Winner  | Age  | Weight  | Jockey  | Trainer

|
|
|
|
|

1963  | Limeking  | 6  | 10–12  | Toss Taaffe | Danny Morgan
1964  | Flying Wild | 8  | 10-06  | Tommy Carberry | Dan Moore
1965  | Flyingbolt | 6  | 12-06  | Pat Taaffe | Tom Dreaper
1966  | The Laird | 5  | 10-09  | Jeff King | Bob Turnell
1967 | no race 1967 [a] |  |  |  |
1968  | Tassilo  | 10  | 10-01  | Aly Branford | Fulke Walwyn
1969  | Titus Oates | 7  | 11–13  | Ron Barry | Gordon W. Richards
1970  | Simian  | 8  | 11-08  | David Moore | Auriol Sinclair
1971  | Leap Frog  | 7  | 12-01  | Val O'Brien | Tom Dreaper
1972  | Arctic Bow  | 7  | 10–12  | Andrew Turnell | Bob Turnell
1973  | Pendil | 8  | 12-07  | Richard Pitman | Fred Winter
1974  | Garnishee | 10  | 10-06  | David Mould | Harry Thomson Jones
1975  | Easby Abbey | 8  | 11-10  | Ron Barry | Peter Easterby
1976 | no race 1976 [b] |  |  |  |
1977  | Even Melody  | 8  | 11-02  | Colin Hawkins | Neville Crump
1978  | The Snipe  | 8  | 10-00  | Anthony Webber | John Webber
1979  | Father Delaney  | 7  | 10–10  | Alan Brown | Peter Easterby
1980  | Bueche Giorod  | 9  | 10-00  | Bryan Smart | Jenny Pitman
1981 | no race 1981 [c] |  |  |  |
1982  | Observe | 6  | 10–11  | John Francome | Fred Winter
1983  | Fifty Dollars More | 8  | 11-10  | Richard Linley | Fred Winter
1984  | Beau Ranger | 6  | 09-10  | John Hurst | John Thorne
1985  | Combs Ditch | 9  | 11-09  | Colin Brown | David Elsworth
1986  | Oregon Trail | 6  | 10-07  | Ronnie Beggan | Simon Christian
1987  | Bishops Yarn  | 8  | 10-07  | Richard Guest | Toby Balding
1988  | Pegwell Bay | 7  | 10–13  | Brendan Powell | Tim Forster
1989  | Clever Folly  | 9  | 10-04  | Neale Doughty | Gordon W. Richards
1990 | no race 1990 [c] |  |  |  |
1991  | Kings Fountain | 8  | 11–10  | Anthony Tory | Kim Bailey
1992  | Another Coral  | 9  | 11-04  | Richard Dunwoody | David Nicholson
1993  | Fragrant Dawn | 9  | 10-02  | Declan Murphy | Martin Pipe
1994  | Dublin Flyer | 8  | 10-02  | Brendan Powell | Tim Forster
1995 | no race 1995 [d] |  |  |  |
1996  | Addington Boy | 8  | 11–10  | Tony Dobbin | Gordon W. Richards
1997  | Senor El Betrutti | 8  | 11-03  | Graham Bradley | Susan Nock
1998  | Northern Starlight  | 7  | 10-01  | Tony McCoy | Martin Pipe
1999  | Legal Right  | 6  | 10–13  | Richard Johnson | Jonjo O'Neill
2000  | Go Roger Go  | 8  | 11-00  | Norman Williamson | Edward O'Grady
2001 | no race 2001 [d] |  |  |  |
2002  | Fondmort | 6  | 10-05  | Mick Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson
2003  | Iris Royal [e] | 7  | 10–13  | Mick Fitzgerald | Nicky Henderson
2004  | Monkerhostin | 7  | 10-02  | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs
2005  | Sir Oj  | 8  | 10-00  | Paul Carberry | Noel Meade
2006  | Exotic Dancer | 6  | 11-04  | Tony Dobbin | Jonjo O'Neill
2007  | Tamarinbleu | 7  | 11-08  | Denis O'Regan | David Pipe
2008 | no race 2008 [f] |  |  |  |
2009  | Poquelin | 6  | 11-08  | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls
2010  | Poquelin | 7  | 11-07  | Ian Popham | Paul Nicholls
2011  | Quantitativeeasing  | 6  | 10-07  | Barry Geraghty | Nicky Henderson
2012  | Unioniste  | 4  | 10-00  | Harry Derham  | Paul Nicholls
2013  | Double Ross  | 7  | 10-08  | Sam Twiston-Davies | Nigel Twiston-Davies
2014  | Niceonefrankie | 8  | 11-05  | Aidan Coleman | Venetia Williams
2015  | Village Vic  | 8  | 10-00  | Richard Johnson | Philip Hobbs
2016  | Frodon  | 4  | 10-10  | Sam Twiston-Davies | Paul Nicholls
2017  | Guitar Pete | 7  | 10-02  | Ryan Day | Nicky Richards
2018  | Frodon  | 6  | 11-12  | Bryony Frost | Paul Nicholls
2019  | Warthog  | 7  | 10-03  | David Noonan  | David Pipe
2020  | Chatham Street Lad  | 8  | 10-10  | Darragh O'Keeffe  | Michael Winters
2021  | Coole Cody  | 10  | 10-12  | Adam Wedge  | Evan Williams
2022 | no race 2022 [d] |  |  |  |
2023  | Fugitif  | 8  | 11-03  | Gavin Sheehan  | Richard Hobson
2024  | Gemirande  | 8  | 10-02  | Charlie Deutsch | Venetia Williams

1. ^ The 1967 running was abandoned due to a foot-and-mouth disease epidemic
2. ^ The race was cancelled in 1976 because of frost
3. ^ a b It was abandoned in both 1981 and 1990 because of snow
4. ^ a b c The 1995, 2001 and 2022 races were cancelled because of frost
5. ^ The 2003 edition was run on Cheltenham's Old Course over 2 miles and 4½ furlongs
6. ^ It was abandoned in 2008 due to waterlogging

## See also

[edit]

* Horse racing in Great Britain
* List of British National Hunt races

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Kerr, Tom. "Double Ross holds off Cantlow for Cup win". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
2. ^ "Jump Pattern Committee update 22/23 season". British Horseracing Authority. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

* Racing Post:
* 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
* 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
* 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
* 2024
* pedigreequery.com – Boylesports.com Gold Cup Chase – Cheltenham.
* Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 44\. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.

## External links

[edit]

* Race Recordings (1965, 1973, 1979–2003) youtube.com

* v
* t
* e

Cheltenham Christmas Meeting

* Bristol Novices' Hurdle
* Nyetimber December Gold Cup
* Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase

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