|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup |
The Royal Artillery Gold Cup is an annual horse race which is run at Sandown Park. It is a unique race, as the Royal Artillery is the only regiment in the British Army to hold at a premier national racecourse. |
Sandown Park venue for Royal Artillery Gold Cup |
It is one of the oldest events in the Racing Calendar. The inaugural event was held in 1862 at Eltham, near Greenwich. It was first run at Sandown Park since 1884, and has ran there every season since 1921 apart from the two World Wars and due to Covid in 2019.
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup history |
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup Winners |
The race is an occasion that brings Gunners together at a Regimental gathering.
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup IJ |
|
101 Regiment MLRS |
|
101 Regiment RA |
|
19 Regiment pipe band entertains the troops |
The race is restricted to horses that are owned or have been leased by those who are serving or have served in the Royal Artillery, or one of their recognised Establishments or Units. The jockeys must be amateurs and either past or existing members of any of the Armed Forces, making the race unique.
|
Sandown RA Gold Cup Kings Troop signal the race |
|
Sandown RA Gold Cup |
|
Sandown RA Gold Cup Red Happy to Win |
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup Parade Ring |
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup Parade Ring Red Happy |
The race is a National Hunt steeplechase which is open to horses aged six years or older. It is run over a distance of 3 miles and 37 yards ( 4,862 metres) and during the race there are 22 fences to be jumped. It requires horses to run two laps of the course.
|
Sandown Park RA Gold Cup Course |
The early fore runners were Red Happy and Broken Halo, Red Happy leading as they jumped the final fence of the first lap.
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup Red Happy jumps in the lead on first lap. |
On the back straight Red Happy fell behind and the race was between Broken Halo and Rolling Dylan, with Broken Hero running out as winner. Rolling Dylan was second and Red Happy was third.
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup Finishing Post
|
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup Result |
|
Royal Artillery Gold Cup Winners enclosure |
|
Master Gunner presents RA Gold Cup to winner |