The Gold Cup at Sandown Park is traditionally the last big race of the National Hunt season, providing the final opportunity for the top staying chasers of that year to prove their courage and their class over three miles and five furlongs round Sandown's famous course.
The first two runnings were won by the two trainers who, to date, have proved the most successful in the race. Much Obliged's victory in 1957 was the first of three training successes for Neville Crump, who also won with Dormant and Hoodwinked in the early Sixties.
In 1958, Taxidermist's victory put the name of Fulke Walwyn on the Roll of Honour for the first time. In total it was to appear a remarkable seven times, a record which may never be surpassed. Some of the great horses with which he was associated appear on the list of winners - Mill House (1967), Charlie Potheen (1973), The Dikler (1974), Diamond Edge (1979 and 1981) and Special Cargo (1984).
The 1990 winner, Mr Frisk, is the only horse to win the Grand National and Whitbread Gold Cup. Like Arkle's Cheltenham Gold Cup/Whitbread Gold Cup double, he achieved it in the same season - a remarkable feat given the short space of time between the two demanding races.
His victory was one of the most popular in recent years, though perhaps two triumphs gained even greater favour with an invariably large Sandown crowd.
Special Cargo, owned by the Queen Mother, won in what must be one of the closest-ever big race finishes, holding off Lettoch and Diamond Edge by two short heads.
Only the famous victory in 1988 by the mighty grey, Desert Orchid, matched it. His exhibition of jumping round the course where he excelled himself so often will long live in the memory.
In 1996, the Whitbread Gold Cup celebrated its 40th running and provided Charlie Swan with a second victory on Life Of A Lord, trained by the remarkable Aidan O'Brien.
2002 saw the inaugural running of the Attheraces Gold Cup which was won by Martin Pipe's Bounce Back
