Andrew Thornton relives winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Cool Dawn 25 years ago

It is 25 years since Ripon-based Thornton piloted 25-1 outsider Cool Dawn to victory at Prestbury Park and he says there is no reason why the Ruth Jefferson, Malton-trained eight-year-old can’t follow in his footsteps in next Friday’s Gold Cup.

The Real Whacker, trained in Leyburn by Patrick Neville, also has an entry for this year’s renewal of the Boodles-sponsored three miles, two-and-a-half-furlong race, but Thornton expects that horse to line up in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase on Wednesday.

The Ripon-based former rider said: “I’d say Real Whacker will go Brown Advisory, I’d be shocked if he went to the Gold Cup. He’d be one of the favourites for the Brown Advisory.

“Sounds Russian has got course form, he had the option of Kelso last week which he didn’t take. If I was Ruth [Jefferson] and the owner, I’d go for the Gold Cup.

“If you have got a horse capable of running in the Gold Cup it is a day you will never forget and you have got a chance.

“We have seen the likes of Norton’s Coin, a 100-1 shot, Cool Ground, 40-1, my horse and Lord Windermere win it. If you have got a horse healthy and at his best, you have got a chance.

“You are looking for one or two of the others to just underperform, they have got to jump the fences. Look what happened when Cool Dawn won it with horses being carried out.

“If you have got a horse that is capable of running and rated in the 160s, have a crack. It’s the day every owner, trainer and jockey wants to be involved with.

“I’d put this and the Grand National on a par. It's a blue riband event off level weights so you find out who the best horse is.

“From a northern perspective, I’d love to see Sounds Russian go and win.”

Another horse with Yorkshire connections is Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase winner Bravemansgame, part owned by businessman John Dance, who is currently establishing a training operation in Middleham with James Horton.

“Bravemensgame for John Dance is another. I take my hat off to anyone who puts money into a sport like this. It just shows how much passion people have for not just for horse racing, but horses too.”

Looking back on his own success in the race, Thornton admits “all the stars aligned” on that warm March day in 1998, when trainer Robert Alner had his charge in perfect condition and they got the horse’s preferred quicker ground, too.

He said: “All the pressure was off. I had won the Royal and Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle the day before on French Holly [the 2-1 favourite] by 14 lengths - and that was pressure.

“That was the Irish/English banker of the meeting - owned and trained by the Irish and ridden by me.”

The horse was owned by Dido Harding - now Conservative life peer Baroness Harding of Winscombe - who later became a successful businesswoman and headed the NHS’ Track and Trace programme during the Covid Pandemic.

She had taken out a bank loan for £6,000 to buy the horse from Ireland as a lady’s point-to- pointer.

Thornton explained: He was bought after three runs on soft ground - which he hated - that is why he was so cheap!”

Despite their underdog status, Thornton, then 25, and Cool Dawn led pretty much from pillar to post, having jumped away smartly and clearing the first two fences with aplomb.

One moment of controversy, which is still talked about now is when AP McCoy pulled up Martin Pipe’s Cyborgo at the seventh fence and carried out the highly fancied Paul Nicholls horse See More Business, ridden by Timmy Murphy, and rank outsider Indian Tracker.

“That certainly helped,” admitted Thornton. “I always said Timmy Murphy did me a lot of favours as I rode See More Business to win the King George, while he was banned, and then getting carried out in the Gold Cup.

“Timmy was always one for mickey-taking and all that and I used to say was ‘Timmy, I have so much to thank you for’ - and AP!

“At that time there was quite a bit of needle between Paul and Martin Pipe and I think Paul thought there was a bit of a conspiracy theory going on in the heat of the moment with his horse. Paul has mellowed down the years, so you can imagine how fiery he was back then!”

As the race reached its climax, Thornton remembered advice from John Francome to give his horse a breather before pressing on home.

He said: “I wanted to try and ping the fourth last and put the others under pressure. Having had the winner the day before, I’m a positive person and I thought ‘let me get them at it’ because I know how he can jump and he pinged that as well, which is a tricky fence.

“When I saw the replay that’s where Doran’s Pride made his bad mistake and you could say that’s what cost him - he wasn’t that far behind at the finish and at a crucial stage when you need to be firing on all cylinders, he missed.”

“As we turned in the home straight he’s drifted off the rail and Norman Williamson was closing on String Promise. But I always had it in my mind that he would struggle to see it out going up the hill and thankfully I was right.

“If you watch Cool Dawn on the replay going into the last fence he changed his legs. I thought ‘he’s got a bit left here’ because when a horse does that he’s thinking and that always tells you you have a bit more left and I knew the other horse wasn’t going to get past me.

“I gave him two flicks with the persuader up the run-in and he just ran all the way to the line. He gave his all. He pulled up 25 years after the post.

“Robert Alner had him in perfect shape. He probably wasn't the best horse out there, but on the day the trainer had him at 100 percent. He was a brilliant horseman.

“Was it a vintage Gold Cup? Probably not - but who cares!”

After the race connections were presented with the famous trophy by the Queen Mother, a moment and emotional Thornton will never forget.

“That was surreal. She loved the sport and was so pleased for me and she asked ‘what was I feeling four out’?

“I thought, ‘who would ask a question like that?’”

“Just before four out what I was thinking was ‘this is for you Gran’. My gran Thornton, who I was very close to, had passed away the previous October and I was thinking of her at that moment.

“I told the Queen Mother this story as we were being presented and she leant across, put her hand on my arm and just said ‘she’d be very proud of you’.”

“I’ll be honest, it was like talking to my gran - one of those moments when you think…”

Thornton retired in 2018 having ridden over 1,000 winners, including six Grade 1 winners, and will be working at Cheltenham for BBC’s Radio Five Live and also appears on Sky Sports racing, while this summer he will also be a raceday presenter at Pontefract and Beverley.

“I love my flat racing as much as the jumps. It’s great to still be involved with racing, using my knowledge and the chance to put something back in.

“Ever since I watched Aldaniti and Spartan Missile in the Grand National that is all I’ve ever wanted to be involved with.

“I was hoping I would ride in a race and one day have a winner. I’m very grateful to Arthur Stephenson for giving me a chance.

“Never be frightened to take a chance. I guess that sums up my career.”