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After a 12-month hiatus due to a full-blown epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom, the Cheltenham Gold Cup returned in 2002. Indeed, while no-one realised it at the time, the 2002 renewal heralded the start of a new era of domination by Best Mate, who would eventually become just the fourth horse in the history of the Gold Cup – after Golden Miller, Cottage Rake and Arkle – to win the race three times or more.

The 2002 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured 18 runners, the largest field since 1982, including the two most recent winners, Looks Like Trouble and See More Business. The fomer was sent off 9/2 favourite, but, having made much of the running, weakened from three out to finish tailed-off last of the 13 finishers. The latter, on the other hand, belied odds of 40/1 to finish a creditable third, beaten 9¾ lengths by the winner, after being outpaced on the run-in.

Trained by Henrietta Knight and ridden by Jim Culloty, Best Mate had been narrowly beaten by Florida Pearl in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on his first attempt over three miles and was stepping up another two-and-a-half furlongs at Cheltenham. Nevertheless, the seven-year-old was noted travelling very strongly on the heels of the leaders approaching the final open ditch and, having quickened ahead at the final fence, ran on well to beat the former Irish grand National winner Commanche Court, trained by Ted Walsh and ridden by his son, Ruby, by 1¾ lengths.

A delighted Henrietta Knight said afterwards, “I’ve always said he was the perfect racehorse, so I knew he’d stay three miles plus. Jim [Culloty] gave him a super ride, always in the right place. “

The last Cheltenham Gold Cup of the twentieth century – and, indeed, the last before the foot-and-mouth epidemic of 2001 stopped the country, including the Cheltenham Festival, in its tracks – was run on unseasonably fast going, officially described as good to firm. Twelve horses went to post and the combination of the underfoot conditions and a breakneck pace, set by Tony McCoy aboard Gloria Victis, produced a winning time of 6:30.3, just over half second faster than the previous best set by Norton’s Coin a decade earlier.

Defending champion See More Business, trained by Paul Nicholls, was sent off 9/4 favourite on his attempt to become the first horse since L’Escargot to win back-to-back Gold Cups. On ground faster than ideal, though, he lost his position at the third-last fence before rallying and staying on again on the run-in to finish fourth, 6 lengths behind the winner.

That winner was Looks Like Trouble, trained by Noel Chance and ridden by Richard Johnson, who had been pulled up behind See More Business, on unfavourably soft ground, in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, but proved an entirely different propsition this time around. Having survived a blunder just before halfway, the eight-year-old duelled with fellow joint-second favourite Florida Pearl from the penultimate fence before drawing away on the run-in to win by 5 lengths.

Johnson, who was riding Looks Like Trouble for the first time after regular jockey Norman Williamson fell out with owner Tim Collins, said afterwards, “I don’t really know the circumstances surrounding it, but I was very lucky to get the ride. Still, what the heck, it feels brilliant!”

Friday, March 15, 2019 proved to be a red-letter day for the most successful trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Festival, Willie Mullins. Prior to that day, the Closutton maestro had been trying to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for 20 years but, despite saddling the runner-up on no fewer than six occasions, had never managed to do so. That all changed when Al Boum Photo, the stable third-string, according to the bookmakers, led turning in and stayed on strongly from the final fence to beat Anibale Fly by 2½ lengths and give Mullins his first ever winner of the showpiece event.

Mullins actually saddled four runners, but only Al Boum Photo made it to the finish. Kemboy, ridden by Mullins’ nephew, David, unseated rider at the first fence, Bellshill, ridden by Ruby Walsh, was pulled up early on the second circuit after a series of mistakes and Invitation Only, ridden by Mullins’ son, Patrick, fell fatally at the tenth fence. The latter incident took the shine off a historic victory for Mullins, but he remained philosophical, saying, “I had probably resigned myself to never winning a Gold Cup, so I said I won’t obsess about it or get too disappointed by it.”

The defending champion, Native River, was never really travelling and finished fourth without threatening the leaders, while the favourite Presenting Percy, who finished lame, trailed in eighth of the nine finishers after his saddle slipped. Anibale Fly, who had finished third in 2018, was placed for the second year running and Bristol De Mai, who had finished seventh, improved four places into third. Reflecting on his first victory in the race, winning jockey Paul Townend said, “I got in a beautiful rhythm. When you’re going well, it just seems so simple.”

The 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup was notable for the fact that, at the time of writing, it was the last renewal to be won by a horse trained on British soil. Indeed, 15 horses went to post, but the race developed into a match between two British-trained runners, Native River and Might Bite, after the leading Irish fancy Our Duke failed to run his race and was pulled up four fences from home.

Might Bite, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Nico de Boinville, had won his last seven completed starts, including the RSA Chase, Mildmay Chase and King George VI Chase, so looked a worthy, albeit marginal, favourite. Native River, trained by Colin Tizzard and Richard Johnson, on the other hand, had finished a close third in the 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup on ground faster than ideal and proved his well-being with a facile, 12-length win in the Denman Chase at Newbury on his return to action. On the prevailing soft going, he, too, was strongly fancied to go two places better this time.

Native River made virtually all the running, but was closely attended by Might Bite all the way to the home turn, where the latter drew alongside and appeared to be going much the better of the pair. Indeed, it was but until approaching the final fence that Nico de Boinville asked Might Bite for maximum effort but, on the climb to the finish line, his mount soon came to the end of his tether. Native River was not for passing and stayed on gamely to win by 4½ lengths. Nothing else really featured and, although Anibale Fly finished well for third place, 4 lengths further back, he never posed a threat to the front pair.

Newspaper headlines before and after the 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup were dominated by two women. The first of them, Lizzie Kelly, rode 40/1 chance Tea For Two, trained by her stepfather Nick Williams and, in so doing, became the first female jockey for 33 years to ride in the ‘Blue Riband’ event. Sadly, her participation was short-lived, as Tea For Two blundered badly and unseated her at just the second fence. Thus, she fared no better than he predecessor, amateur Linda Sheedy, who pulled up 500/1 rank outsider Foxbury in the 1984 renewal won by Burrough Hill Lad.

The other woman was, of course, trainer Jessica Harrington, who, having turned 70 the previous month, celebrated by winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the first attempt with Sizing John. “Beginner’s luck,” quipped Harrington afterwards. Owned by Ann and Alan Potts and ridden by Robbie Power, having his first ride in the race, Sizing John arrived at Cheltenham off the back of a narrow, all out win in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and was sent off 7/1 fourth-favourite, behind Djakadam at 3/1, Native River at 7/2 and Cue Card at 9/2. The latter blotted his copybook for the second year running, falling at the third last, as he had done in 2016.

Native River and Djakadam proved good enough for close third and fourth places, respectively, with the former just pipped for second by the strong-finishing Minella Indo in the final stride. None of that trio really threatened Sizing John., who travelled well throughout, led by 3 lengths at the final fence and stayed on well on the run-in to win by 2¾ lengths.