Rachael Blackmore becomes first female jockey to win Gold Cup on A Plus Tard

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Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the fourth and final day of the Cheltenham Festival. While Shishkin vs Energumene in Wednesday’s Champion Chase was the most keenly anticipated contest of the week, this afternoon’s Gold Cup remains the ultimate test of steeplechasing in the jumps calendar.

A tough examination of speed, stamina and jumping accuracy, 11 horses will go to post to race over three miles two-and-a-half furlongs and 22 fences of Cheltenham’s new course. The ground was tacky and soft on Wednesday after the rain but with almost two drying days of sun and breeze we could see the ground returning to close to good in places.

That might be bad news for last year’s winner Minella Indo and fellow doughty stayer Royal Pagaille, who will need a career best to cap a fantastic week for trainer Venetia Williams.

A Plus Tard, who was traveling well in last year’s racing before some late jumping mistakes, is battling for favoritism with fellow Irish hope Galvin. It has not been the best of Festivals for Gordon Elliott but Galvin could change that, having beaten A Plus Tard by a short head over three miles at Leopardstown in December. Galvin has solid Cheltenham form too, winning the National Hunt Challenge Cup last year and finishing second to Imperial Aura in the Northern Trust Company Novices’ Handicap Chase in 2020.

Two-time winner Al Boum Photo is back for another tilt aged 10, while the youngest horse in the race Protektorat has his admirers for the Skeltons.

Before the blue-riband race, Vauban is a strong favorite in the Triumph Hurdle, there is another big handicap to sort out with the County Handicap Hurdle before one of the best British chances of the day Hillcrest leads the market for Albert Bartlett. For those interested, the Prestbury Cup is well poised with 11 wins for Irish trainers and 10 for the British so far.

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