Cheltenham Gold Cup chasers as Arkle, Best Mate, Golden Miller, Kauto Star and Mill House. The Gold Cup is the most valuable non-handicap chase in Britain, and in 2014 it offered a total prize fund of £550,000. The first horse race known as the Cheltenham Gold Cup took place in July 1819. It was a flat race, and it was contested over 3 miles on Cleeve Hill, which overlooks the present venue. The inaugural winner, Spectre, won a prize of 100 guineas for his owner Mr Bodenham. The Cheltenham Gold Cup was first run as a jumps race on 12 March 1924. The
2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup and Ireland. 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup The 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup (known as the Betfred Gold Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 87th annual running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup horse race and was held at Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday 13 March 2015. The race was won by Coneygree with a winning margin of a length and a half at the line. Coneygree became the first novice to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup since 1974. A week before the race Silviniaco Conti was listed as the favourite at odds of 3/1. The race was shown live on Channel 4 in