Cheltenham 1992

Excellent piece. Frightening to think it was nearly 31 years ago

I will always remember that festival for the Gold Cup and Carvill's Hill and The Fellow's demise against Cool Ground Gold Cup 1992. For me the race had everything.

I had invested a tidy sum ante post on Carvill’s Hill after the Welsh National demolition job. A good friend of mine had invested £50 e/w ante post @ 12/1 on The Fellow. I had an open house that year and quite a few of us watched the race on BBC and as there were only eight runners, most of us were on Carvill's Hill or The Fellow. All the talk beforehand was about Jenny Pitman using Golden Freeze as a stalking horse to get Carvill's Hill on the floor. Peter Scudamore seemed to lose his head at the start and dashed frantically to the first and Carvill’s Hill crashed through it. In hindsight he lost the race there and then, the horse incurring chest and tendon injuries and was brave even to continue. For the next mile I was enraged with Michael Bowlby reining in Golden Freeze between fences to let Carvill's Hill catch up so he could comprehensively out jump him again.

Eventually I realised it was hopeless for Carvill's Hill and switched my attention to The Fellow as at least some of my friends were on that. Coming down to the last The Fellow was in the lead and was going to meet the last on a perfect stride. Then inexplicably for a horse that jumped so well, Adam Kondrat slowed right down to pop the fence and allowed Docklands Express and Cool Ground to gain lengths jumping the last. That along with the owner not allowing the whip to be used on The Fellow enabled Adrian Maguire to conjure up a spectacular winning run from Cool Ground.

I remember absolute silence in my living room in stark contrast to the shouting during the finish; we were all in a state of shock. The sight of Carvill's Hill staggering home with Scudamore on his back in 5th and last place was quite shocking even eclipsing a lame Toby Tobias. In my anger I thought Jenny Pitman got what she deserved with Golden Freeze pulled up and Toby Tobias going lame. I went through quite a few emotions during and just after that race. Then David Elworth's (whom I greatly respect) made a ridiculous statement that Carvill's Hill lacked moral fibre.  Maybe he expected the horse to make some cheese sandwiches for the Cheltenham homeless after the race. My friend, who missed out on the win part of his ante post bet on The Fellow, took it all in his stride and showed pure class by buying the beers with his place returns later in the evening. Poor Carvill's Hill suffered the most and never ran again, a sad outcome for a brilliant but flawed chaser.

Good story ( ) storm.

Here's the race although i doubt you'll want reminding.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=carvills+hill+cheltenham+gold+cup&docid=607999058512061716&mid=AC953473082DB02FA81CAC953473082DB02FA81C&view=detail&FORM=VIRE



My lasting memory concerning Carvill's Hill was the cheering when it fell at Cheltenham , probably the stand out unsavoury moment amongst many pleasant racecourse visits.


Best of luck 

there is a pub near kings cross called the fellow ...and it is after the horse ! good place . nice roof terrace in summer and bits of stuff about the horse on the walls .