When it comes to famous racehorses, most people know a handful of major names – you’ll probably hear about Red Rum, Seabiscuit, maybe even Eclipse. But you’re unlikely to hear about Golden Miller because, unlike some of the others names that get bandied about, he doesn’t have a perfect record. But what Golden Miller does have is the singular achievement of being the only horse to win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Grand National in the same season in 1934! If you’re thinking a horse might repeat this feat soon… well, it’s unlikely, Native River isn’t running in the Grand National this year and precious few Gold Cup Winners ever would. But Tiger Roll won the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham last month and looks a favourite for the National so you’ll want to be keeping an eye on him and maybe see if you can place a bet with Paddy Power Grand National.
Golden Miller was born in 1927, his sire was Goldcourt and his dam Miller’s Pride, who both came from respectable stock but neither were exceptional. Goldcourt had sired two Irish Grand National winners and Miller’s Pride had been a hunting horse. The combination though created an impressive horse who, while disqualified from his first race, began making an impression with a few solid wins under his belt before he moved to Cheltenham and proved himself a legend in 1932 when he first won the Gold Cup. He went on to win the Gold Cup five times in a row from 1932 all the way to 1936. But his amazing performances at the Cheltenham Festival rarely translated into his running at Aintree.
In 1933 he took his first run at the Grand National but fell at the Canal Turn despite being a 9/1 favourite at the time. This failure didn’t set him back though and the next year, fresh off his third win at Cheltenham, Golden Miller raced again and this time managed to storm on through to victory! To this day, Golden Miller is the only horse to win the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year (and we’re unlikely to see that record broken as few horses will race in both, nowadays). He didn’t return to Aintree after that last win though, his performance there seemed to imply it wasn’t his preferred track. Instead, he stuck to Cheltenham where he won twice more before his winning streak came to an end.
Golden Miller’s incredible performance is even claimed to have spawned a coach company. In 1934 bricklayer Fred Varney bought a ticket in the Irish sweepstakes and drew Golden Miller which meant, when he won the top prize, he suddenly had thousands of pounds to put to good use and he opted to found a coach company named after the winning horse. This company was bought and sold a few times before they were bought out by Tellings Coaches and became Tellings-Golden Miller who still operate to this day. In addition, a statue of Golden Miller now stands at Cheltenham to commemorate the multi-Gold Cup winner in much the same vein as the Red Rum gardens at Aintree. While he may not be as widely known, Golden Miller was without a doubt a true champion!