2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup The 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup (known as the Betfred Gold Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 84th annual running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup horse race held at Cheltenham Racecourse on 16 March 2012. Fourteen horses ran and the steeplechase was won by 8/1 shot Synchronised, who was trained by Jonjo O'Neill and ridden by Tony McCoy. Synchronised completed the course in a time of 6 minutes 36.19 seconds and won by a distance of 2¼ lengths from second-placed The Giant Bolster. Kauto Star was attempting to win the Gold Cup for the third time and
David Nicholson (horse racing) in the 1964–65 season. His biggest win came in the Whitbread Gold Cup on Mill House in 1967. As a trainer he was one of the leading trainers in National Hunt racing during the 1980s and 1990s. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Charter Party in 1988, the King George VI Chase with Barton Bank in 1993 and the Queen Mother Champion Chase with Viking Flagship in 1994 and 1995. He retired in 1999. In 2008 an extra race was added to the Cheltenham Festival named the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle in honour of Nicholson. David Nicholson (horse racing)