Let’s talk about… bet365 / Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown

What are your favourite memories of the Whitbread/bet365 Gold Cup? Share your thoughts with us via racingfeedback@sportinglife.com and they will appear at the foot of the article.

Daryl Jacob – Tidal Bay

It’s a very prestigious race, I was watching on Racing TV the old replays of previous winners of the Whitbread and bet365 Gold Cup and there have been some very good winners of the race in the past including when I rode Tidal Bay in 2012.

I got a great tune out of him that day. The rain came for him, it was soft to heavy ground, it was a great weight-carrying performance as well. They went fast enough early doors, I rode a very patient race on the horse, I just floated around and his class came to the fore.

He jumped really well down the back straight at Sandown, which you always need to do. I was in a great position jumping the last of the railway fences and from there on there were only two or three horses that had a realistic chance of winning.

From there I could bide my time, pull the goggles down, enjoy it. He was on the bridle ahead of the last and he pinged it, before sprinting away up the hill like a fresh horse. He was incredibly impressive and didn’t put a foot wrong all the way round.

He’s always had that class from when he was with Howard Johnson and winning an Arkle to when Paul Nicholls got him later in his career.

He’d won a Grade One in Ireland and that was in my mind when I was riding him, treat him like a class horse, ride him with confidence, and it paid off.

After that he almost won a Welsh National for me. He ran a wonderful race at Chepstow, I think if another horse had jumped the last with him he might’ve won, but the two lightly-weighted horses had each other’s company and that worked in their favour.

He couldn’t quite peg them back, but it was a mighty effort giving them a couple of stone.

But back to Sandown, it’s always been a lucky track for me all the way through the year. The jumps finale is a great atmosphere, though, crowning the champions, it’s always a special occasion.

I’ve had some great days there, but Tidal Bay was something else. You’ll do well to find a more impressive winner of the bet365 Gold Cup than him, that’s for sure.

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Feedback from readers

Alan Shaw: In 1988 Desert Orchid got the most magnificent reception as he entered the winners enclosure, then getting 3 cheers from the crowded enclosure. His bold jumping got his opponents hard at word on the back stretch then at the last with Kildimo upsides he just left him to win quire easily at 6/1 having been displaced as favourite. Brilliant. This meeting is sadly missed this year.

Dave Parker: 1984 the greatest finish of all time and how Kevin Mooney new he had won it I haven’t a clue unless it was a bit of gamesmanship? It was just a great race from start to finish and so many great names from National hunt history , Queen Mother winning owner and a great supporter of British racing , Fulke Walwyn , Michael Dickinson, great trainers and the jockeys Bill Smith , Kevin Mooney and Robert Earnshaw three of the best all in a line. What more can one say it had everything. Daryl Jacob and Tidal Bay great ride and one I won’t forget as it won me a lot of money, my friends and I have watched Daryl,s career over the years and he deserves all he achieves. He normally would have been my jockey to follow at Aintree in a normal year but sadly it didn’t happen , along with the Sandown finale let’s hope we get back to normal soon.

Darren Ashworth: In a different world when fast ground was acceptable for jump racing there was a horse in his element, his name was Mr Frisk. Duelling with Uncle Merlin in a jumping competition at Aintree until his rival fell at Bechers second time around, he then fought off the admirable Durham Edition to win in record time. 'Groundhog Day' followed as he again beat the same horse in the Whitbread Gold Cup, ridden superbly by Mr Marcus Armytage.

Wayne Brown:

Tony Harbour: A really smart horse over fences and hurdles winning a coral cup at Cheltenham among other good races, I really enjoyed seeing MONKERHOSTIN winning the race for Richard Johnson.

Duncan Godfrey: There have been two occasions over the years when I felt that a horse I backed in the Grand National was going well enough to have won, if they had only stood up the whole way. The more obvious of the pair was Andy Pandy in 1977 (Bechers second time round) and less obviously Puntal in 2004 going at the 19th. I appreciate from his later National attempts that stamina might have proved an issue, but in 2004 that “what might have been” feeling was only added to when Puntal won the ‘Whitbread’ 3 weeks later. Still not over it ...... !