Golden Miller

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Golden Miller
Sire Goldcourt
Grandsire Goldminer
Dam Millers Pride
Damsire Wavelets Pride
Sex Gelding
Foaled 30 April 1927
Country Ireland
Colour Bay
Breeder Laurence Geraghty
Owner Philip W. Carr
Dorothy Paget (1931)
Trainer Basil Briscoe
Owen Anthony
Record 52: 29-7-6
Major wins
Cheltenham Gold Cup
(1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936)
Grand National (1934)
Last updated on 18 January 2011

Golden Miller (1927–1957) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who is the most successful Cheltenham Gold Cup horse ever, having won the race in five consecutive years between 1932 and 1936. He also is the only horse to have won both of the United Kingdom's premier steeplechase races - the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same year (1934).

Breeding

He was sired by the unraced Goldcourt, who stood at a stud fee of five guineas and sired two Irish Grand National winners. His dam, Miller's Pride, was an ex-hunter who was placed and the dam of the good steeplechaser, May Crescent. Her sire, Wavelet's Pride, won the Great Metropolitan Stakes, a hurdle race and other races before he became a top jumper sire.[1]

Racing record

Golden Miller was trained by Basil Briscoe in Longstowe, Cambridgeshire and owned by the eccentric Dorothy Paget, who was the British flat racing Champion Owner in 1943, and the leading National Hunt owner in 1933-34, 1940–41 and 1951-52.

In 1931 Golden Miller made his steeplechasing debut at Newbury Racecourse where he finished first, only to be disqualified for carrying incorrect weight. On 30 December he won the Reading Chase before winning the Sefton Steeplechase on 20 January 1932.

In 1933, as a six year old and winner of two Cheltenham Gold Cups, he started as the 9/1 favourite in the Grand National, but fell at the Canal Turn.

In the 1934 Grand National win he set a new course record of 9 min 20.4s for Aintree. This victory was the middle of five consecutive Gold Cup victories, a Gold Cup record.[1]

He retired in 1939 with a record of 29 wins from 52 races. He is buried at Elsenham Stud, a working farm in Elsenham, West Essex.

Honours

Fred Varney, a bricklayer, founder of Golden Miller Coaches, bought a ticket in the Irish sweepstakes and was lucky enough to draw Golden Miller. A well known bookmaker bought a half share in Fred's ticket for £3,000. When Golden Miller won, he won the top prize of £30,000. He had to give the bookmakers £15,000, which left Fred with £18,000. With the winnings he gained from the sweepstake, Fred and his son-in-law founded a coach company and named it after the horse. After many years Golden Miller was bought and renamed Tellings-Golden Miller. Many of the firm's coaches have a portrait of the horse on the front or side of the vehicle.

A statue of Golden Miller was erected near the parade ring at Cheltenham Racecourse.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Churchill, Peter, The Sporting Horse - The history, the riders & the rules of popular equestrian sport, Arco Publishing Company, Inc, London, 1976, ISBN 0-85685-139-6
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