Facts, stats and figures from the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot

The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older.

It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.

It is Britain's most prestigious event for "stayers" – horses who specialise in racing over long distances.

It is traditionally held on the third day of the Royal Ascot meeting, which is known colloquially (but not officially) as Ladies' Day.

The Gold Cup is the first leg of Britain's Stayers' Triple Crown, followed by the Goodwood Cup and the Doncaster Cup.
The last horse to win all three races in the same year was Double Trigger in 1995.

A number of horses have won it more than once, and the most successful is Yeats, who recorded his fourth victory in 2009.

Yeats was trained by Aiden O'Brien who is the leading trainer in the race, having won it 7 times, Yeats (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Fame and Glory (2011), Leading Light (2014), Order of St George (2016)

Lester Piggott is the leading jockey in the race, winning the Gold Cup 11 times – Zarathustra (1957), Gladness (1958), Pandofell (1961), Twilight Alley (1963), Fighting Charlie (1965), Sagaro (1975, 1976, 1977), Le Moss (1979), Ardross (1981, 1982).