Gildoran  Gildoran (foaled 6 June 1980) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. A specialist stayer he won the Ascot Gold Cup in 1984 and 1985. His other wins included the Sagaro Stakes and the Goodwood Cup. In all, he won seven races in a twenty-two race career which lasted from 1983 until 1985, during which he showed an aptitude for extreme distances and fast ground. He made little impact at stud. Gildoran was a bay horse with a white star and stripe. He was one of the best horses sired by Rheingold, the winner of the 1973 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Gildoran was the first foal of his dam Durtal, a top-class racemare who won the Cheveley Park Stakes in 1976. As a daughter of the influential broodmare Derna, Durtal was closely related to many leading racehorses including Detroit, Zabeel and Carnegie. Throughout his racing career Gildoran was owned by Robert Sangster and trained at Lambourn in Berkshire by Barry Hills  Gildoran raced twice without success over seven furlongs as a two-year-old in 1982. In 1983 he ran eight times, winning a maiden race over twelve furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse, an apprentice riders' race at Bath Racecourse and a handicap race over one and three quarter mile at Goodwood. He finished unplaced in the Ebor Handicap at York Racecourse in August and was then moved up in class and distance to contest the Doncaster Cup over two and a quarter miles in September. He produced his best performance of the season, finishing second by two and a half lengths to the five-year-old Karadar. Gildoran began his third season by finishing unplaced in a handicap at Newmarket and then recorded his first important success when he won the Group Three Sagaro Stakes over two miles at Ascot Racecourse. Ridden by Steve Cauthen he started at odds of 11/2 and won from Society Boy and Another Sam. He was then assigned a weight of 139 pounds in the Chester Cup and finished unplaced behind Contester. In June Gildoran was sent to Royal Ascot where he started at odds of 10/1 for the Gold Cup over two and a half miles. The summer of 1984 was unusually hot and dry in England and the race was run on exceptionally fast ground.