CORAL RACING CLUB MEMBERS VOTE DESERT ORCHID ALL-TIME FAVOURITE GOLD CUP WINNER

Desert Orchid, the ever-popular grey who won a thrilling renewal of the Gold Cup in 1989, has been voted the favourite winner of the Cheltenham Blue Riband by members of the Coral Racing Club, the UK’s largest free to join racehorse ownership group.

Coral ran the poll to celebrate this year’s centenary of the Gold Cup, and with 17% of the 1020 votes submitted, Dessie topped the list of fans’ favourites – although only narrowly – ahead of the three-time winner, Best Mate, who picked up 16% of the votes.  The only horse to regain the Gold Cup, Kauto Star, finished third, while his stablemate, Denman, took fourth spot, with the only horse to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup, Dawn Run, filling the top five.

coral cheltenham gold cup projection, london, 7th march 2024

 

Image: To celebrate 100 years of the Gold Cup, bookmaker Coral projected giant images of Desert Orchid, Best Mate and Kauto Star onto Cleeve Hill, the iconic backdrop to Cheltenham racecourse. In a survey of 1,020 racing fans, 1989 winner Desert Orchid topped the poll of favourite Gold Cup winners, ahead of three-time winner, Best Mate. The only horse to regain the Gold Cup, Kauto Star, finished third.

To mark the 100 years of the Gold Cup and the Racing Club poll, Coral projected unique giant moving images of the top three onto Cleeve Hill, the iconic backdrop to Cheltenham racecourse, to create these stunning images.

“From Red Splash winning the inaugural race in 1924, to Galopin Des Champs storming home under Paul Townend last year, the Gold Cup roll of honour features some of the greatest names in racing history, from the five time winner Golden Miller to the only horse to regain the prize, Kauto Star; from hat-trick heroes Cottage Rake to Best Mate, and not forgetting the mighty Arkle,” said Coral’s David Stevens.

“To celebrate the centenary, we asked our Coral Racing Club members to tell us their favourite winner, and by the narrowest of margins, the enduring popularity of Desert Orchid saw him come out on top, with the most recent three-time winner, Best Mate, pipped at the post on this occasion,” added Stevens.

“Stablemates Kauto Star and Denman were third and fourth, with the brilliant mare, Dawn Run, completing the top five.  With less than a week to go until this year’s Gold Cup, we hope racing fans enjoy our unique tribute to the top three, and we look forward to another 100 years of this great race,” concluded Stevens.

Coral Racing Club members’ poll of favourite Gold Cup winners – top five:

  1. Desert Orchid – 17%
  2. Best Mate – 16%
  3. Kauto Star – 8%
  4. Denman – 6%
  5. Dawn Run – 6%
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