Gold Cup Winner 2012
Winner: Synchronised
Betting Odds: 8/1
Trainer: Jonjo O’Neill
Owner: J.P. McManus
The 84th annual running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1) sponsored by Betfred, a bookmakers based in the United Kingdom, founded by Fred Done. It was first established as a single betting shop in Ordsall, Salford, in 1967. In 2022, published turnover was £8.8 billion.
A going description of good.
Win prize money of £284,750 A winning time of 6m 36.19s (fast by 9.81s).
This nine-year-old gelding, a son of Sadler’s Wells out of a nine-time-winning mare Mayasta. Bred by Mrs. Noreen McManus, in the ownership of John P. McManus, trained by Jonjo O’Neill. Synchronised was trained for the entirety of his racing career at Jackdaw Castle, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.
Synchronised made his debut as a five-year-old at Chepstow on the 14th February 2008, in a Maiden Hurdle over 2m on good to soft going. Priced 33/1, he finished a creditable 2nd beaten five lengths.
Leading up to the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Synchronised won the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown, Ireland, on the 28th December 2011 on good going. Priced 8/1, under the riding of A.P.McCoy, he ‘drew clear’ to win by eight and a half lengths in a nine-strong field.
Frank Berry, representing J.P. McManus said: ‘“Jonjo O’Neill has done a fantastic job and he got a great ride. I thought the ground might be too quick for him but he handled it really well. In fairness he ran well in his two hurdle races on good ground. He had to carry 11st 11lb in the Welsh National at Chepstow and it was going to be a slog so we made the decision to come here. I was a bit worried about the ground. That gives us an idea of where we are going with him and we can look at some of the good races. He gets the trip and he jumps. He’ll get an entry in the Gold Cup. He’ll also get an entry in the English Grand National.”
In a career which spanned five seasons, Synchronised raced 20 times times winning 9 times and placed on 4 occasions. He achieved total prize winnings of £510,775.
Sadly, Synchronised died on the 14th April 2012, when competing in the Aintree Grand National. Priced at 10/1, ridden by Tony McCoy, he was fatally injured when falling at the 6th fence.
McCoy said: ‘Synchronised is a horse that I won’t ever forget… it is one of those terrible things that you wish will never happen.’
16thMarch 2012 –
3:20 Cheltenham – Betfred Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)
A field of 14 runners on good ground.
Leading contenders included: Long Run 7/4f, Kauto Star 3/1, Weird Al 8/1, Burton Point 8/1, Synchronised 8/1, Midnight Chase 12/1 & What A Friend 25/1.
Just seconds to the Cheltenham Gold Cup…
The race was billed as a showdown between Kauto Star and Long Run.
Commentary from Simon Holt:
Midnight Chase (12/1) leads at the first with Kauto Star (3/1) and Time For Rupert (33/1) disputing second.
At the second, What A Friend (25/1) fell sending Daryl Jacob to the turf. The jockey attended to by a paramedic and the horse ran off unhurt.
Carruthers (100/1) taking a knock and hampered.
Synchronised was none too fluent at the water jump and pushed along for a few strides to hold his position at the back of the field.
Midnight Chase continued to go well in front. Long Run (7/4) and The Giant Bolster (50/1) sitting handy in fourth and fifth, respectively.
However, Midnight Chase clouted the next.
Knockara Beau (66/1) moved up into second position with a small advantage over Long Run who travelled well up the rail.
All of a sudden Kauto Star was struggling in mid division and pushed along by Ruby Walsh and would be pulled up before the 10th.
Holt said: ‘Kauto Star doesn’t look to be travelling at the moment… he’s being pulled up…the racing legend’
The crowd cheered him even in defeat.
‘So much respect for a great horse…’
Walsh was quoted as saying: ‘the gelding was not stretching out.’
With a circuit to go, Midnight Chase and Time For Rupert, a couple of lengths ahead of Long Run ‘who’d had a charmed run round so far…’
China Rock (100/1) sitting in fourth.
Weird Al (8/1) never travelling, tailed off and pulled up four out. Later, post race, the trainer said the gelding ‘bled from the nose’. [Broke blood vessel]
At six out, Midnight Chase still going well in the lead, Time For Rupert a length ahead of Long Run who crept up the rail.
McCoy getting to work on a rather flat footed Synchronised who sat in sixth but still in contention.
Holt said: ‘They are getting sorted out behind, they are in the torture chamber…’
Four fences to jump.
Towards the third last, Time For Rupert leading around the bend, last year’s winner, Long Run, pushed along.
At the second last The Giant Bolster went to the front, Time For Rupert in second and Long Run in third.
At the final fence, it was close between The Giant Bolster and Long Run, but on the nearside, Synchronise gathered pace with Holt saying: ‘He will outstay them up the hill…’
‘It’s Synchronise and the 16 times champion jockey, Tony McCoy, comes storming up the hill to win the Gold Cup.’
Jonjo O’Neill said: “The horse came back from Leopardstown not quite right. He’d caught a chill and wasn’t well at all. He’s not a big robust horse and he needs minding and time between his races. Everyone at the place put their shoulders to the wheel over getting him right, gave it everything. It was really only in the past few days that he really came to himself, came right. He was like a flower who finally bloomed.”
Cheltenham Gold Cup Results:
2012 – 1st 8/1
Major wins: Midlands Grand National 2010, Welsh Grand National 2010, Lexus Chase 2011 & Cheltenham Gold Cup 2012.