{"id":35630,"date":"2025-06-09T03:57:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T02:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/?p=35630"},"modified":"2025-06-09T03:57:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T02:57:48","slug":"5-fastest-cheltenham-gold-cup-winning-times-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/horse-racing\/cheltenham-festival\/5-fastest-cheltenham-gold-cup-winning-times-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Fastest Cheltenham Gold Cup Winning Times Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo by Wikimedia Commons, CC by 2.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the crown jewel of jump racing\u2014a race that defines champions and captivates purists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staged over three-and-a-quarter miles on Cheltenham\u2019s testing New Course, it headlines the fourth and final day of The Festival in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legends such as Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate, Kauto Star, and Denman have all etched their names into the Gold Cup\u2019s rich history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But which winners had the fastest times across the line? Here\u2019s our pick of the top six quickest Gold Cup victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Poet Prince (1941) – 6:15.6<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A War-time renewal of the Gold Cup and it was Poet Prince, ridden by Roger Burford and trained by Ivor Anthony that led home nine rivals by three lengths to take home the trophy in the 16th edition of the race and claim the record for the fastest ever Gold Cup time in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owner and regular rider David Sherbrooke picked up an injury 24 hours before the Gold Cup and was replaced by Burford. Poet Prince went off the 7\/2 third choice in the betting market and was up the hill in front of Savon and Red Rower to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Red Rower (1945) – 6:16.2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Denied in both that 1941 renewal and again 12 months later when second behind Medoc II, Red Rower would win the Blue Riband at last on March 17th 1945 for owner-trainer Lord Stalbridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then aged 11 and a veteran of the race, Red Rower went off 11\/4 favourite in the market and had three-lengths to spare over Schubert in second and Paladin in third as he finally landed the Holy Grail, with his winning time less than a second outside the course record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silver Fame won in 1951 in a time of 6:23.4, while two years later it was the turn of Knock Hard in 6:28.4 – both fine efforts on the clock for their era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silver Fame’s was notable for two reasons. At 12, he was and remains the oldest horse to win the Gold Cup. His time also stands to record, the fastest recorded after the race was increased to three-and-a-quarter-miles on the Old Course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Long Run (2011) – 6:29.7<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Gold Cup later moved to the New Course at Cheltenham in 1959 and the stiffer nature of that track at Prestbury Park changed the dynamics of the race markedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, times since then are slower, but they are records on the course as we know it today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup – Long Run pic.twitter.com\/Kp5o0v8XTC<\/a><\/p>— History of Horse Racing (@horsevault) March 9, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>