Thursday 16 February 2023

RA Gold Cup 2023 Sandown

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