The Gold Cup’s remarkably run-of-the-mill first running - and how it grew into the most important race in the calendar

Cheltenham will pull out all the stops when it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Gold Cup later this month – which will be in stark contrast to the first running on March 12, 1924.

There was no fanfare at all before that inaugural running, nor any indication that the new race was a significant milestone in racing history.

At this time, jump racing in Britain was very much the poor relation of the Flat and the Grand National dwarfed all other jump races in both prize-money and prestige, meaning it was the main target for any steeplechaser with pretensions to class even though it was a handicap.