Thursday, March 17, 1983 was a red letter day in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and, indeed, in the history of National Hunt racing in general. On that memorable day, a youthful Michael Dickinson saddled five of the 11 runners in the ‘Blue Riband’ event and, remarkably, they filled the first five places. Dickinson undoubtedly held a strong hand, with a quintet comprising Silver Buck and Bregawn, who had finished first and second in the 1982 renewal of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Wayward Lad, Captain John and Ashley House. Nevertheless, with the likes of Combs Ditch, trained by David Elworth, and Fifty Dollars More and Brown Chamberlin, both trained by Fred Winter, in opposition, the result was far from a foregone conclusion.
With Dickinson having expressed doubts about the fitness of reigning champion Silver Buck, Bregawn was sent off 100/300 favourite, ahead of Combs Ditch at 9/2, Silver Buck at 5/1 and Wayward Lad at 6/1. Bregawn, ridden by Graham Bradley, made most of the running and, with Silver Buck blundering away his chance at the final fence, it was stable companions Captain John, ridden by David Goulding, and Wayward Lad, ridden by Jonjo O’Neill, who emerged as his nearest pursuers in the closing stages.
The favourite, though, was not to be denied and drew clear again on the climb to the line to win by five lengths. Captain John took second place, half a length ahead of Wayward Lad, with Silver Buck a distant fourth and Ashley House a running-on fifth, to give Dickinson what commentator Sir Peter O’Sullevan called an ‘amazing 1-2-3-4-5’. Hailed by Timeform as an ‘astonishing training triumph’, Dickinson’s achievement may never be matched, although it is worth noting that Paul Nicholls said the first three home in the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup and fourth of the first five home in the 2009 renewal.