THETATTERSALLS GOLDCUP

The Tattersalls Gold Cup was granted Group 1 status in 1999 and since then it has become established as one of the most significant contest for older horses in the opening months of the European racing season.

One of the most memorable winners in those early years as a Group 1 was undoubtedly the great Montjeu. Trained by John Hammond in France, the son of Sadler’s Wells arrived at The Curragh for the 2000 renewal of the race having already won the Prix du Jockey Club, the Irish Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe the previous season. Sent off at 1/3, he didn’t disappoint under Mick Kinane, showing a fine turn of foot to escape a pocket in the closing stages and run out the comfortable winner.

2005 produced a sensational renewal of the race that saw the five-time Group 1 winner Bago come over from France to race against the pick of the Irish colts in the shape of the Dermot Weld-trained Grey Swallow and the John Oxx-trained Azamour.

In what was an enthralling contest, it was the previous season’s Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow that succeeded in holding off the brave bid of Bago in a tremendous finish.

Andre Fabre saddled his only winner of this race in 2006, when Hurricane Run landed the spoils in the hands of Kieren Fallon. The four-year-old had won the Irish Derby here during his Classic campaign and finished that season with victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Fallon was also in the saddle for this victory as he made all on the colt, stretching clear of the smart filly Alexander Goldrun to win by seven lengths at the finish.

Since it’s elevation to Group 1 status, only three horses have succeeded in winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup on two separate occasions. The first was the Aidan O’Brien trained So You Think. The son of High Chaparral arrived to Ireland with a huge reputation having won five Group 1s in Australia for Bart Cummings and he consolidated his position as an international star by winning the 2011 and 2012 renewals of the Tattersalls Gold Cup in great style.

The second two-time winner of the race was the Roger Charltontrained Al Kazeem. The son of Dubawi got the better of Camelot to win the 2013 renewal and he came back to the Curragh two years later to beat Fascinating Rock, Postponed and The Grey Gatsby in an epic renewal of the race. This performance was even more remarkable as he had been retired to stud following his five-year-old campaign and to get the horse right back to his best was some achievement for trainer Roger Charlton.

The third and last horse to complete the double was no other than Magical. A mare with so much talent, she won six Group 1’s in her brilliant career and landed this race in both 2019 and 2020 in great style.

Champion jockey Colin Keane added his name to the history books with a superb ride on Helvic Dream in 2021, to reverse the form with odds-on shot Broome. The deep-cut ground played to his strengths, as he had previously shown how well he travelled into his races, and prevailed by just a short head. This race proved to be a nail-biting finish again last year as you could cover the first three home with a blanket as they crossed the winning-line.

William Haggas came home victorious, however, as Alenquer was always well-positioned and, with stamina for further, he was eventually able to wear down High Definition in the dying stages. Subsequent Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner State of Rest had to settle for third on the day but only finished a further neck behind the runner-up.