Coral Cup
Encyclopedia
The Coral Cup is a Grade 3 National Hunt
hurdle race
in Great Britain
which is open to horses
aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham
over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs (4,225 metres), and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival
in March.
The event was established in 1993, and it has been sponsored by Coral throughout its history. The inaugural winner, Olympian, was given a bonus prize of £50,000 for having won the Imperial Cup
the previous weekend. The race was promoted to Grade 3 status in 1999.
There were high winds on the day of the planned running in 2008, so the Coral Cup was rescheduled and run on Cheltenham's New Course. The distance of the rearranged event was 2 miles and 4½ furlongs.
Most successful horse:
----
Leading jockey
(2 wins):
----
Leading trainer
(3 wins):
The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.
National Hunt racing
National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...
hurdle race
Hurdling (horse race)
A Hurdle race in England is a National Hunt horse race where the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles that are over three and a half feet high. They are typically made of brush, that has some flexability. Hurdle races always have a minimum of eight hurdles and a minimum distance of two miles ....
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
which is open to horses
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham
Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing events, located at Prestbury Park, in the suburban village of Prestbury on the outskirts of the English town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire...
over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs (4,225 metres), and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
in March.
The event was established in 1993, and it has been sponsored by Coral throughout its history. The inaugural winner, Olympian, was given a bonus prize of £50,000 for having won the Imperial Cup
Imperial Cup
The Imperial Cup is a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 110 yards , and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped...
the previous weekend. The race was promoted to Grade 3 status in 1999.
There were high winds on the day of the planned running in 2008, so the Coral Cup was rescheduled and run on Cheltenham's New Course. The distance of the rearranged event was 2 miles and 4½ furlongs.
Records
Most successful horse:
- no horse has won this race more than once
----
Leading jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
(2 wins):
- Barry GeraghtyBarry GeraghtyBarry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...
– Sky's the Limit (2006), Spirit River (2010) - Davy RussellDavy RussellDavy Russell is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Russell's first win as a professional jockey was for English-based Irish trainer Ferdy Murphy on Inn Antique in a novice hurdle at Sedgefield, 12 November 2002...
- Naiad de Misselot (2008), Carlito Brigante (2011)
----
Leading trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
(3 wins):
- Martin PipeMartin PipeMartin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England....
– Olympian (1993), Big Strand (1997), Ilnamar (2002)
Winners
- Weights given in stones and poundPound (mass)The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s; Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer 1993 Olympian 6 10-00 Peter Scudamore Peter ScudamorePeter Scudamore , known universally as 'Scu', is a former jockey and trainer in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey , riding 1,678 winners in his career...Martin Pipe Martin PipeMartin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England....1994 Time for a Run 7 11-08 Charlie Swan Edward O'Grady 1995 Chance Coffey 10 10-00 Gerry O'Neill Pat O'Donnell 1996 Trainglot 9 10-03 Mark Dwyer Mark DwyerMark Dwyer is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League during the 1980s....Jimmy FitzGerald 1997 Big Strand 8 10-00 Jamie Evans Martin Pipe Martin PipeMartin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England....1998 Top Cees 8 10-00 Barry Fenton Lynda Ramsden 1999 Khayrawani 7 11-03 Fran Berry Christy Roche Christy RocheChristy Roche is a retired champion Irish flat racing jockey.Over his thirty year career between 1968 and 1998 he won the Budweiser Irish Derby 3 times which he won in 1982, 1992 and 1997. His 1997 victory was on Desert King.-External links:*...2000 What's Up Boys 6 10-03 Mr Paul Flynn Philip Hobbs Philip HobbsPhilip Hobbs is a British racehorse trainer specializing mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables near Minehead, Somerset....no race 2001 2002 Ilnamar 6 10-05 Rodi Greene Martin Pipe Martin PipeMartin Pipe was a racehorse trainer until his retirement in April 2006.The son of a West-Country bookmaker, Pipe was an amateur jockey before turning his attention to training in 1974 at Nicholashayne, Devon, near Wellington, England....2003 Xenophon 7 11-00 Mick Fitzgerald Mick FitzgeraldMick Fitzgerald is an Irish National Hunt jockey who rode mainly in Great Britain. He has ridden the winners of the Grand National, on Rough Quest in 1996, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on See More Business in 1999. He was the stable jockey for Nicky Henderson and was leading jockey at the...Tony Martin 2004 Monkerhostin 7 10-08 Richard Johnson Richard Johnson (jockey)Richard Johnson is an English National Hunt jockey.-Background:Johnson comes from a racing family with his father being an amateur jockey and his mother, Sue Johnson, a successful trainer.-Jockey career:...Philip Hobbs Philip HobbsPhilip Hobbs is a British racehorse trainer specializing mainly in National Hunt racing. He is based at stables near Minehead, Somerset....2005 Idole First 6 10-10 Alan O'Keeffe Venetia Williams Venetia WilliamsVenetia Williams is a British racehorse trainer specialising in National Hunt racing. She is based at stables at Aramstone in Herefordshire, England....2006 Sky's the Limit 5 11-12 Barry Geraghty Barry GeraghtyBarry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...Edward O'Grady 2007 Burntoakboy 9 09-12 Sam Jones Richard Newland 2008 Naiad du Misselot 7 10-13 Davy Russell Davy RussellDavy Russell is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Russell's first win as a professional jockey was for English-based Irish trainer Ferdy Murphy on Inn Antique in a novice hurdle at Sedgefield, 12 November 2002...Ferdy Murphy 2009 Ninetieth Minute 6 10-03 Paddy Flood Tom Taaffe Tom TaaffeTom Taaffe is an Irish horse trainer based at Portree Stables, Boston, Straffan, in County Kildare.He began training in 94/95 jumps season, having had a successful career as a professional jump jockey for the Arthur Moore stable....2010 Spirit River 5 11-02 Barry Geraghty Barry GeraghtyBarry Geraghty is an Irish jockey.Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997, three years later he became the Irish Champion jump jockey for the first time. He rode his first Cheltenham winner on the Jessica Harrington trained Moscow Flyer in the 2002 Arkle Chase.He won the Grand National in...Nicky Henderson Nicky HendersonNicky Henderson is a British racehorse trainer. He has been British jump racing Champion Trainer twice.Henderson, educated at Eton College, has been a trainer since 1978, based at Seven Barrows near Lambourn, Berkshire...2011 Carlito Brigante 5 10-12 Davy Russell Davy RussellDavy Russell is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Russell's first win as a professional jockey was for English-based Irish trainer Ferdy Murphy on Inn Antique in a novice hurdle at Sedgefield, 12 November 2002...Gordon Elliott
The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis.
See also
- Horseracing in Great Britain
- List of British National Hunt races