• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cheltenham Betting Offers

  • Home
  • Free Bets
  • Meetings
    • New Year’s Day Meeting
    • Festival Trials Day
    • Cheltenham Festival
    • April Meeting
    • Race Night
    • Showcase Meeting
    • November Meeting
    • International Meeting
  • News
  • Articles
    • Stats & Trends

Cup Races at Cheltenham

cheltenham gold cup originalIn the world of horse racing, horses are run for all sorts of prizes. Obviously money is one of the main things that owners and trainers alike want to see their horses win, but there are also other offerings such as plates and trophies that winning horse can be awarded at the end of a hard fought race. Cups are also high on the list, being attached to some prestigious races.

On the National Hunt’s list of Graded races alone there are 15 different races that are run for a cup and that doesn’t even include the likes of the Jim Ford Challenge Cup and the Greenall Whitley Gold Cup that have been discontinued. On this page we’ll have a look at a selection of those Cups, focusing on those that are run at Cheltenham plus one or two others.

Cup Races At The Cheltenham Festival

Race Distance Grade Prize Money
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase 1m 7f 199y Premier H'cap £122,963
Foxhunter Challenge Cup
Foxhunter Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase
3m 2f 70y Class 2 Chase £48,125
The Cheltenham Gold Cup 3m 2f 70y Grade 1 £614,813
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup 3m 2f Class 2 Chase £72,188
Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f Premier H'cap £98,370
National Hunt Chase 3m 5f 201y Grade 2 £118,888

Cup Races At Other Cheltenham Meetings

Race Distance Grade Prize Money
December Gold Cup Handicap Chase 2m 4f 127y Premier H'cap £127,881
Paddy Power Gold Cup 2m 4f 44y Premier H'cap £157,662

Cheltenham Cup Races

foxhunter challenge cup race board at cheltenham gold cup dayWith 15 Cups coming under the auspices of the National Hunt’s most prestigious races, there are plenty of different cup offerings that we could tell you about. Add in Cups raced further afield and there are a huge amount taking place each racing season, bearing in mind that we’re really only interested in jump racing on this page.

When it comes to identifying what makes a race worthy of being run for a Cup, you’ll soon learn that there is no real rhyme or reason behind it. The races are all very different from each other, with the only thing typing them all together being the fact that they’re raced for a Cup as part of the prize at the end of the event.

Cheltenham Gold Cup

Where else to start but with the most prestigious race in British jump racing? The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 offering that has 22 fences and is run over 3 miles, 2 furlongs and 70 yards, being open as it is for horses aged 5 and over with the following weight information at play:

  • 5-year-olds: 11 stone 8 pounds
  • 6-year-olds and over: 11 stone 10 pounds
  • Mares are given an allowance of 7 pounds

We’ve written about the Gold Cup elsewhere on this site in far more detail than we can manage here, so instead we’re just going to focus on the Cup aspect of the race. The race was first run as a flat race, taking part on Cleeve Hill in July of 1819. The winner was given 100 guineas and a gold cup for his troubles.

The race became one that was run over jumps in 1924, when it took place on the Cheltenham Racecourse Old Course and there was an actual Gold Cup trophy rewarded to the winner. The trophy itself was essentially a large bowl with horses’ heads on either side as handles, sat atop a plinth. Weighing 644 grams, it was made of 9 carat gold and plated in 18 carat gold.

The trophy went missing and was only returned to Cheltenham Racecourse in September of 2018 (pictured top of this page). That was when a private owner approached the course with it, having kept it in a bank vault since the 1970s. Cheltenham had been presenting winners with a different trophy since 1972, but began using the original again from 2019 onwards.

Coral Cup

The next Cup to look at is from another event that takes place during the Cheltenham Festival, the Coral Cup. A Grade 3 race open to horses aged 4 and over, it is run as a handicap over 2 miles and 5 furlongs. There are 10 hurdles to be jumped during the race, so you can already see how different it is from the Gold Cup run at the end of the meeting.

First run in 1993, it has always been sponsored by the bookmaker Coral, which explains its title. Olympian was the first horse to win the race and, upon doing so, was presented with a bonus prize of £50,000. This is because the horse had also won the Imperial Cup the previous weekend. That is run a Sandown over 1 mile, 7 furlongs and 213 yards and is also a Grade 3 race.

The Coral Cup was given its Grade 3 status in 1999. It is one of the most competitive handicap races run during the National Hunt season. The cup itself is an odd looking thing, essentially being a massive silver bowl sitting on top of what looks a bit like a double helix spiral. It might look odd, but that doesn’t mean that recipients are any less interested in holding it aloft post-race.

BetVictor Gold Cup

Whilst we’re talking about the Gold Cup, it’s worth mentioning the other races that have the same name. One such example is the Grade 3 BetVictor Gold Cup, which is run over 2 miles and 4 and a half furlongs. It’s a handicap race with sixteen fences that need to be jumped during its running and takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse every November.

Established in 1960, it was sponsored by Mackeson and known by most people as the Mackeson Gold Cup until the company’s sponsorship ended in 1995. Since then there have been numerous different sponsors offering their name to the Cup’s title, with the bookmaker BetVictor taking over the honour in 2016.

A number of horses have won the race twice, including Fortria and Gay Trip. Imperial Commander won the race in 2008 and went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup two years later, so you can see why the event is held in such high regard within the horse racing community. The trophy itself has a large base, thin handles and an urn-type shape to the main body.

December Gold Cup

Inaugurated in 1963, this is another handicap race and is open to horses aged 4 and over. It is run over 2 miles, 4 furlongs and 127 yards, boasting 17 fences during that distance. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse and is part of the Saturday of the International Meeting. It is a Grade 3 race.

That doesn’t include the actual December Cup that winners are presented with, of course. The race was initially sponsored by Massey Ferguson and therefore known as the Massey Ferguson Gold Cup, keeping this title until 1980. There have been numerous sponsored titles since then, with the race taking on the moniker of the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup briefly in 2005.

Horses that have previously run in the BetVictor Gold Cup often go on to compete in this race, with Pegwell Bay, Senor El Betrutti and Exotic Dancer being examples of horses that have won both Cups in the same season. The actual cup isn’t gold, but is instead silver. There is a large base bearing the names of previous winners, with the main body looking like a rugby ball and a jumping horse on its top.

Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

Another Festival favourite, the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup was established as the Kim Muir Amateur Riders’ Steeplechase in 1946. The name of Fulke Walwyn was added to its title in 1991 in honour of the trainer who secured 40 Festival wins and 211 victories at Cheltenham Racecourse. It is a handicap race open to horses aged 5 and over.

As you might have imagined from its original title, it is only open to amateur riders who must steer their charges over 21 fences during the race’s 3 mile and 2 furlong distance. The cup itself is somewhat akin to the FA Cup, being a large bulbous thing with horses appearing to run around its central section and large handles either side.

Foxhunter Challenge Cup

The St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase, to give the race its full title, was first run in 1904. It is run over the same course and the same distance as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but differs from the main race because it is only open to amateur jockeys. They must lead their horses over 3 miles, 2 furlongs and 70 yards and have them jump 22 fences in order to win.

The horses can be 5 or older and the following weight information applies:

  • 5-year-olds: 11 stone 12 pounds
  • 6-year-olds and over: 12 stone 0 pounds
  • Mares receive a 7 pound allowance

The race has had numerous sponsors over the years, with St. James’s Place plc taking over the honour in 2016. In order to qualify to take part in the race, a horse has to have done well in specific race types within a certain period. They need to have done one of the following:

  • Finished either 1st or 2nd in a hunters’ chase twice
  • Won two open point-to-point races
  • Won one open point-to-point race and finished either first or second in a hunters’ chase

The actual cup presented to the winners of the Foxhunter Challenge Cup is incredibly impressive. From ground to floor it is about half the height of the jockeys that get to hoist it above their heads. Made of silver and with a small base, the main body takes up most of the trophy’s size and there are two big handles on either side. There is a small horse on the top of the trophy, too.

Other Cup Race Examples

There are a large number of cups races for outside of Cheltenham, so here’s a couple of examples from further afield.

Summer Cup

The Summer Cup is run at Uttoxeter Racecourse as a handicap outing. It is open to horses aged 5 and older and takes place over a distance of 3 miles, 2 furlongs and 13 yards. There are 19 fences to be jumped during the race, which is a Listed offering and was first run at the turn of the millennium. Back then it was known as the Summer National.

It was originally run over a distance of 4 miles, though it was dropped to 3 and a half miles in 2009. It got its current length in 2012, which was also when it was rebranded as the Summer Cup. The cup itself is another huge one, being more like an oversized silver jug than a cup. The body is bigger than a person’s head, with a large handle and a jumping horse on the lid.

Breeders’ Cup Grand National Steeplechase

Moving away from England, the Breeders’ Cup has an official name of the Grand National Hurdle Stakes. It is run at Far Hills in New Jersey in the United States of America. Taking place over just shy of 3 miles, it is open to horses aged 4 and up and has the following weight information:

  • 4-year-olds: 148 pounds
  • 5-year-olds and over: 156 pounds

The Grade 1 race can trace its history back to 1899 when it was run at Morris Park Racecourse. To give you an insight into how important it is to American racing, 11 of the 14 steeplechasers that have been inducted into the National Museum Of Racing And Hall Of Fame have been winners of this event. Battleship is the only horse to have won this race and the Aintree Grand National.

It is one of the most important steeplechases outside of Europe and the day that it takes place on has another seven races on the card. The race should not be confused with the Breeders’ Cup, which is a world championship made up of several races. That was a single day even originally but has now grown to have a second day. The Grand National isn’t one of those races.

That might be confusing, but it was known as the Breeders’ Cup Grand National Steeplechase thanks to a licensing agreement between the Breeders’ Cup and the National Steeplechase Association, though the race itself was never part of the Breeders’ Cup series.

Punchestown Gold Cup

The final race with Gold Cup in the title that we’re going to tell you about is the one run at Punchestown in Ireland during the Punchestown Festival. That usually takes place in late April or the early part of May and the current version of the race was first run in 1999. That was when it replaced a race of the same name that was for novice chasers only.

The modern version of the race is for horses aged 5 and up and has the following weight information attached:

  • 5-year-olds: 11 stone 5 pounds
  • 6-year-olds and over: 11 stone 10 pounds
  • Mares are given an allowance of 7 pounds

Run over 3 miles and 120 yards, there are 17 fences to be jumped during that time. It has been known by numerous names over the years, including the Heineken Gold Cup. Typically it tends to feature horses that have already run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup earlier in the season, with Sizing John managing to win both events in the same year in 2017.

As you might imagine for an event that features previous runners in Cheltenham’s Gold Cup, the race’s prestige is not to be under-estimated. Previous winners include such well-known names as Neptune Collonges, Sir Des Champs and Don Cossack. The actual cup can best be described as a heavily decorated massive gold tankard with a lid.

Primary Sidebar

Cheltenham Free Bets

Meetings at Cheltenham

  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Champion Day
    • Ladies Day
    • St Patrick’s Thursday
    • Gold Cup Day
  • Festival Trials Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • November Meeting
    • Countryside Day
    • Gold Cup Day
    • November Meeting Sunday
  • Race Night
  • Showcase Meeting
    • The Showcase Friday
    • The Showcase Saturday
  • The April Meeting
    • April Meeting Day One
    • April Meeting Day Two
  • The International Meeting
    • International Friday
    • International Saturday

Race Types

  • Amateur Races
  • Championship Races
  • Conditions Races
  • Cross Country Races
  • Cup Races
  • Fillies' Races
  • Grade 1 Races
  • Grade 2 Races
  • Grade 3 Races
  • Handicap Races
  • Hurdle Races
  • Juvenile Races
  • Listed Races
  • Maiden Races
  • Mares' Races
  • Novices' Races
  • Premier Handicap Races
  • Standard Open Flat Races
  • Steeplechase Races
  • Trial Races
  • Trophy Races
  • Discontinued Races

Latest News

  • Aintree & Cheltenham Amongst Jockey Club Courses To Drop Dress Code
  • What Can Be Done To Combat Race Fixing In Horse Racing?
  • Jockeys Are Struggling With The New Whip Rules
  • Cheltenham Festival Trials Day Likely To Go Ahead As Temperatures Rise This Week
  • BHA Whips Rules Changed At The Last Minute Following A Jockey Backlash

Articles

  • Who Are The BHA?
  • Origins Of Steeplechasing
  • Is Horse Racing Too Traditional? Why Is It So Confusing?
  • Robot Horse Racing
  • Are There More Fatalities On Hard Ground In Horse Racing?
  • Types Of Jump Racing Fences
  • Biggest Comebacks In Horse Racing
  • Difference Between A Hurdle & A Fence In Jump Racing
  • What Are Hurdles & Fences Made From?
  • Why Are Race Distances Measured In Miles, Furlongs & Yards
  • Stag And Hen Do's At Cheltenham
  • Each-Way vs Place Betting: Which Is Better?
  • What Are Final Declarations
  • Does Illegal Horse Racing Still Happen?
  • What Is Pony Racing? How Is It Different To Horse Racing?
  • Ladies At The Races
  • What Do Nose, Head, Neck and Length Mean?
  • What Is A Furlong?
  • When Is A Race Declared Void?
  • False Starts In Horse Racing
  • What Are Official Ratings in Horse Racing?
  • Can You Run A Race With Only One Horse?
  • What Is Point To Point Racing
  • Best Day Of The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Buy and Train a Racehorse?
  • Cheltenham Festival Ticket Types
  • How Much Does Racing Make From The Betting Levy?
  • Are There Less Horse Deaths In Racing Today?
  • Origins Of Jockey Silks In Horse Racing & Rules
  • Can A Jockey Remount A Horse?
  • What Happens If No Horse Wins A Race?
  • Why Do Horses Jump Fences?
  • How High and Far Can A Horse Jump?
  • Use Of The Whip In Horse Racing
  • What Are The Different Types Of Racehorses?
  • Who Sponsors Cheltenham Races
  • How Do Racehorse Owner Syndicates Work?
  • How Much Do Racehorses Weigh?
  • How Does Travelling Affect Racehorse Performance?
  • What PPE Do Jockeys Wear And Why?
  • Can Racehorses Overheat?
  • Benefits Of Owning Race Horses
  • What Is The Top Speed Of A Racehorse?
  • Do Racehorses Have Special Diets & Nutrition?
  • How Are Racehorses Transported & What Are The Rules
  • What Happened To All-Weather Jumps Racing?
  • What Was Tic Tac? The Sign Language For On-Course Bookmakers
  • The Road To Cheltenham
  • Retraining of Racehorses
  • What Happens To Retired Racehorses?
  • Horse Racing Mix-Ups
  • Youngest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • What Are Blinkers & Why Do Race Horses Wear Them?
  • How Long Do You Have To Claim A Winning Bet At A Racecourse?
  • Female Jockey Pioneers
  • Oldest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Record Jockey Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Record Trainer Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Races Record Horse Wins
  • Biggest Prize Money Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • The Life Of A Racing Jockey
  • Races With The Most Fences At The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Often Do Mares' Win At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Average Winner Age Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Longest Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Newest Races
  • How Often Does the Favourite Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
  • Average Winner Odds Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Stats & Trends
  • Veganism & Horse Racing
  • Horse Doping In Horse Racing
  • Most Feared Fences In Horse Racing
  • Jockey Injuries
  • How To Become A Jockey
  • Horse Injuries
  • What Is Going In Horse Racing
  • Richest Races In Horse Racing
  • What Is The Starting Price In Racing
  • When Is The Best Time To Bet Ante-Post
  • Impact Of Wetter Winters On UK Jump Racing
  • How Long Do Racehorses Live For?
  • How Much Do Jockeys Weigh?
  • Rules For Naming Race Horses
  • What Is A Dead Heat In Horse Racing?
  • Who Would Win A Race Between A Horse And A Dog?
  • What Makes A Good Jump Stayer?
  • What Is A Stewards Enquiry?
  • Why Are Horses Disqualified and Who Decides?
  • Courses At Cheltenham: Old, New and Cross Country
  • How Are Jump Horses Trained Differently To Flat Horses?
  • Longest Odds Winners In Horse Racing History
  • How Much Money Is Bet At Cheltenham?
  • How Much Is Cheltenham Worth To The Economy?
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Owners
  • Accessibility At Cheltenham The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Oldest Race Still Running
  • Biggest Female Trainers
  • Celebrity Race Horse Owners
  • Can Jockeys, Trainers & Owners Bet?
  • British vs Irish Trainers And Stables At Cheltenham
  • Things To Do & Places To Visit In Cheltenham
  • The Royal Family And The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Be An On-Course Bookmaker?
  • How Much Money Do Race Horse Owners Make?
  • How Much Money Do Trainers Make?
  • Cheltenham Race Types
  • Cheltenham Hotels & Cheltenham Festival Accommodation
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Trainers
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Jockeys
  • Top 10 Cheltenham Festival Horses
  • How Much Money Do Jockeys Make?
  • Richest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Getting To Cheltenham Racecourse
  • Cheltenham Festival vs Grand National, Which Is Better?
  • Cheltenham Racecourse History
  • Why Is The Cheltenham Festival So Big?
  • Cheltenham Festival History
  • The Prestbury Cup
  • Cheltenham Festival Quiz
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey
  • Cheltenham Racecourse During The War
  • Ante-Post Betting - Risk vs Reward
  • Jump Racing Distances
  • How to Read a Race Card
  • How To Bet On Horse Racing
  • Disqualification, Non-Runners and Rule 4
  • Age, Sex and Weight in Horse Racing
  • History And About National Hunt Racing
  • A-Z Glossary Of Horse Racing Terms
  • Horse Racing News, Statistics & Blogs
  • Live Streaming of Horse Racing
  • Live Betting In Play On Horse Racing
  • Cash Out And Partial Cash Out On Horse Racing
  • Grades and Classes In National Hunt Jump Racing

Offers

  • Acca Offers For Horse Racing
  • Extra Places Each-Way & Enhanced Each Way Terms Cheltenham Festival 2023
  • Horse Racing Loyalty Free Bet Clubs
  • Horse Racing Money Back
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For The Cheltenham Festival
  • Tote and Totepool Betting
  • Lucky Bets and Bonuses For Horse Racing
  • Non-Runner No Bet
  • Free Bets And Bonuses For Winners
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For Horse Racing
  • Faller & Fail To Finish Insurance For Horse Racing

Copyright © 2023 CheltenhamBettingOffers.com | 18+ Gamble Aware | Privacy & Cookie Policy