Paddy Power Gold Cup: Past Winners, Stats & History

Taking centre stage at Cheltenham on the Saturday of their November meeting is this ultra-competitive handicap contest, the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

First run in 1960, this race has many sponsors over the years. Paddy Power returned in 2020 having previously supported the Gold Cup between 2003 and 2015. Other backers include Mackeson, Murphy’s and most recently BetVictor.

The top trainers in the game tend to be attracted to Cheltenham for this big early season pot, and it has proven difficult for the smaller operations to break through over the years. Will we see the prize again falling to one of the big yards next time?

Paddy Power Gold Cup Course Map (Old Course)

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Paddy Power Gold Cup Past Winners

About the Paddy Power Gold Cup

It may not be the most prestigious Gold Cup run at Cheltenham but the Paddy Power Gold Cup is not a contest lacking in reputation. Many view the feature race of November’s Open Meeting as being a highly informative handicap for the season ahead. The chase is contested over a distance a touch further than two and a half miles with all horses aged four and above eligible to compete.

Initially sponsored by Mackeson in 1965 when first introduced, the event has been run under several different guises since. Many of you may know this race as the Paddy Power Gold Cup anyway but the Irish bookmakers pulled their support in 2015 with BetVictor taking their place a year later only for Paddy Power to return in 2020. Sponsorship helps keeps this handicap a valuable one with a prize of £160,000 offered in 2023, a handsome tally for a Premier Handicap race.

DECENT RETURNS ON OFFER

Horses priced between 5/1 and 11/1 have won more than half of all Paddy Power Gold Cup renewals since 2000. As a result the average starting price of champions in this time is close to 10/1, making it an attractive race for the punters.

It’s an average price that would be a lot shorter if those at the very top of the betting could perform more regularly. Favourites haven’t fared well in recent years, Stage Star won as 4/1 favourite in 2023, however the last to do the business before that was Tranquil Sea back in 2009 at odds of 11/2.

COURSE WIN AN ADVANTAGE

You’ll struggle to find a horse without some form of Cheltenham experience on the racecard for this Gold Cup challenge. Former course wins are not as commonplace though. Out of the 14 runners that took part in the 2023 renewal only four had previously enjoyed success at Cheltenham. In the 2019 renewal, five horses, under a third the field, boasted a ‘C’ next to their name. In most recent races, there has been a more equal split between runners that have and haven’t won at Cheltenham beforehand.

Despite usually being outnumbered, those with a New or Old Course win have been first past the post 17 of the last 24 instances of this race. Ga Law in 2022, Happy Diva in 2019 and Baron Alco in 2018 became latest exceptions to the rule but Happy Diva and Baron Alco both twice finished as runners-up previously at Cheltenham.

PIPE DREAM

David Pipe will be hoping he can replicate his father’s unrivalled success in this race but it will take some doing. His dad Martin secured his first Gold Cup winner in 1987 before another seven followed during a dominant 10 year period between 1996 and 2005. Retiring a year after his final winner, the mantle was passed to David and it didn’t take too long for him to get off the mark. Great Endeavour’s win is only time Pipe junior has struck gold in this race though despite his regular presence. As you can see by efforts since, Pipe is in need of some more inspiration if he’s going to close on his dad’s record.

DAVID PIPE’S Paddy Power GOLD CUP RECORD: 2011 – 2023

IMPERIAL COMMANDER COMPLETES GOLD CUP DOUBLE

Paddy Power Gold Cup participants rarely go on to hit an elite level although many do enjoy a decent degree of success. It’s not often you ever see them wind up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup later in their career but Imperial Commander was a horse unlike most others. Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, the successful chaser claimed his first notable victory in 2008 when winning this race. One season later he then took part in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, priced only behind Kauto Star and Denman in the betting. There he scooped a hugely prestigious win, making him the only horse ever to win both these particular Gold Cups.

Imperial Commander’s Graded Race Wins