Cheltenham Gold Cup 1995

Run on soft going, the 1995 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured 15 runners, including the second, third and fourth from the 1994 renewal, Jodami, Young Hustler and Flashing Steel. Victory, though, went to the favourite, Master Oats, trained by Kim Bailey and ridden by Norman Williamson, who was not entirely foot perfect at his fences, but was, nevertheless, ridden clear approaching the final fence and stayed on strongly to win by 15 lengths. Dubacilla, trained by David Nicholson and ridden by Dean Gallagher finished second, a similar distance ahead of the 1994 Grand National winner Miinnehoma, trained by Martin Pipe and ridden by Richard Dunwoody.

Master Oats became the first winning favourite since Desert Orchid in 1989 and his winning margin was the widest since Alveston beat Royal Mail by 25 lengths in 1979. Moreover, he completed a rare Champion Hurdle – Cheltenham Gold Cup double for Bailey and Williamson who, two days earlier, had teamed up to win the two-mile hurdling championship with the former high-class Flat performer Alderbrook, who was having just his second start for the yard. In fact, the last trainer and jockey to achieve the feat were Vincent O’Brien and Aubrey Brabazon who, in 1950, won the Champion Hurdle with Hatton’s Grace and the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Cottage Rake, both of whom started favourite.

Reflecting on his finest hour at Prestbury Park some years later, Bailey said, “Alderbrook was my first Cheltenham winner and you never forget the first and last of anything you do.” However, he was affectionately ambivalent towards Master Oats, saying, “He would run through a brick wall for you and he was not a good jumper; his brain wasn’t quite quick enough for his feet.”