Coup De Gold

Those two wins have come at opposite ends of the country and two and a half years apart. The first arrived at Sedgefield in the north-east of England in January 2024, and the second — and most recent — came at Newton Abbot in Devon just five weeks ago, in June 2026. That latest win matters. At ten, horses are not supposed to be getting better, and yet here is Coup De Gold racing just yesterday and sitting on the back of a win. Recent form reads 3-4-5-7-1-6 in reverse order, meaning that victory at Newton Abbot is sandwiched between some mid-pack finishes — but the win happened, and it was recent.

The bulk of Coup De Gold's career has been spent in Class 5 races, which are the bread-and-butter level of jump racing — competitive enough, but a step removed from the glamour end of the sport. At that level, the record reads 1 win from 32 races, which is a thin 3%. That said, 17 places from 46 races overall tells you this horse finishes in the frame more often than the win column suggests. It is the sort of horse that makes you think "nearly" more often than "yes."

The partnership with jockey Miss Eleanor Williams is a curious one. Twelve races together and no wins — not a single one — yet the combination keeps being tried. That kind of loyalty is either testament to a working relationship that suits the horse on the day, or simply the practicality of a small yard making the most of what it has. Mrs C Williams trains out of Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan, and the yard has sent out three winners this season, so there is clearly life in the operation.

Still racing at ten, still winning as recently as five weeks ago, still active yesterday — Coup De Gold is not a star, but it is a stayer in the truest sense of the word.