The 2020 Cheltenham Festival is only a few short weeks away. It's always one of the most anticipated race meetings of the year, not just because of the quality of the racing or the unique atmosphere of Cheltenham Racecourse, but also because it is a sure sign that the long winter is finally coming to a close and spring is here.
The pundits and bookmakers are feverishly discussing the runners and riders. Will Grand National hero Tiger Roll win again in the Cross Country Chase? Can Altior bring Nicky Henderson yet more success on Ladies Day? These are both good questions, but the serious topic for horse race betting fans is who is going to scoop the biggest prize of all in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Last year, Al Boum Photo brought Henderson's arch rival Willie Mullins his first ever Gold Cup win, and in doing so etched his place in history alongside some of the greatest racehorses in history. Let's take a look at three of the most famous winners from across the years.
Arkle
Arkle is to the Gold Cup what Red Rum is to the Grand National. The Irish Thoroughbred stormed onto the scene at Cheltenham in 1963, winning the Broadway Chase by an astonishing 20 lengths. The following year, he returned to try for the Gold Cup, but would have to beat Mill House, against whom he had been defeated at Newbury months earlier.
The showdown between the horses captured the public imagination, and when Arkle won, he became an instant household name. By returning in 1965 and 66 to win twice more, his place in history was assured. Even today, he is remembered in the Arkle Chase on opening day of the festival.
Golden Miller
Despite his fame, Arkle is not the most successful Gold Cup horse. That title belongs to Golden Miller, the bay gelding who won the Gold Cup five years in a row from 1932 to 1936. As if that wasn't enough, he also won the Grand National in 1934, a feat that is usually seen as impractical due to the relative proximity of the two events on the race calendar. No other horse has managed it before or since.
On his retirement in 1939, a statue was erected in his honour at the Cheltenham racecourse. His memory also lives on in Tellings Golden Miller coaches. The company was originally founded by a bricklayer, using money he won backing the horse. Today, the vehicles still have an image of Golden Miller's head as part of their livery.
Best Mate
Legends are not just from bygone ages. Best Mate repeated Arkle's feat by winning three years in succession from 2002 to 2004, and would surely have been odds-on to challenge Golden Miller's record were it not for the entire festival being cancelled in 2001 due to the foot and mouth outbreak and a sudden burst blood vessel forcing him to withdraw in 2005.
Tragically, Best Mate suffered a fatal heart attack later that year during a race at Exeter. His passing was headline news, and his ashes were buried next to the finish post at Cheltenham.
