| Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse Date: 15-18 March Roots: 13:30-17:30 GMT Gold Cup: 15:30, Friday |
| Coverage: Comments on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, feature races Radio 5 live. Racecards, live text, results & reports on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Last year’s first three will face each other again in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
The 2021 champion Minella Indo, runner-up A Plus Tard and Al Boum Photo are among 11 contenders in the race.
Galvin is another leading Irish challenger, while Protektorat, Chantry House and Royale Pagaille are some of the British-trained hopefuls.
Robbie Power will ride Minella Indo for trainer Henry de Bromhead with Rachael Blackmore on stablemate A Plus Tard.
Blackmore, the leading jockey at last year’s meeting who went on to win the Grand National on Minella Times, is bidding to become the first female rider to win the Gold Cup.
“I cannot separate the two,” said De Bromhead of his pair.
“A Plus Tard has probably got a bit more pace than Indo but both have a lot of class.”
The Gold Cup, where runners negotiate 22 fences over three and a quarter miles, is the blue riband event as the four-day Cheltenham Festival reaches a climax.
Last year’s race was held behind closed doors because of Covid-19 but a sell-out 70,000 crowd is expected this time.
Two-time champion Al Boum Photo is looking to become the first horse to regain his title since Kauto Star in 2009, and the first triple victor since Best Mate 18 years ago.
In addition to the 2019 and 2020 winner, trainer Willie Mullins runs King George VI Chase victor Tornado Flyer and Asterion Forlonge.
Galvin proved his stamina at the 2021 meeting with victory in the National Hunt Chase.
He runs for trainer Gordon Elliott, who missed last year’s meeting while serving a six-month suspension after a photo appeared on social media of him sitting on a dead horse.
Protektorat represents Dan Skelton, Jonjo O’Neill saddles Chantry House, with Royale Pagaille (Venetia Williams), Santini (Polly Gundry) and Aye Right (Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford) completing the field.
Approximate odds – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup
3-1 To Plus Late, 7-2 Galvin, 9-2 Minella Indus, 8-1 Al Boum Photo 10-1 Protection, Tornado Flyer, 16-1 Chantry House, Royale Pagaille, 20-1 Asterion Forlonge, 33-1 Santini 50-1 Aye Right
Who are the BBC pundits picking?
Gina Bryce – presenter: I’m hoping the ground dries out for A Plus Tard. The lack of obvious pace could see the race play to his favor as a horse with a turn of foot. He’s the class horse in the race and I think he’ll go one better than last year.
John Hunt – commentator: On Wednesday when the rain come down, it would have saddened most hearts but trainer Venetia Williams must have had a spring in her step about Royal Pagaille. He has shown at Haydock how much he loves the rain-softened ground. A big run is expected.
Andrew Thornton – former Gold Cup-winning jockey: He comes alive at Cheltenham and I’m going for Minella Indus to chalk up back-to-back wins. He should not be inconvenienced by the ground and can come out better again.
Friday’s schedule and coverage
1:30 PM – JCB Triumph Hurdle 2m 179y
2:10 PM – McCoy Contractors County Hurdle 2m 179y
14:50 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle – 2m 7f 213y
15:30 – Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase 3m 2f 70y
16:10 – St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase 3m 2f 70y
16:50 – Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase 2m 4f 127y
17:30 – Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f 56y
BBC coverage
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra 13:15-18:00; BBC Radio 5 live 1400-1600
Reference-www.bbc.co.uk