Galopin Des Champs bids for Gold Cup glory on final day of Cheltenham Festival
After three days of great racing it all culminates with Gold Cup Day at the Cheltenham Festival, and Galopin Des Champs will be bidding to take the crown from A Plus Tard in today's feature race.
Galopin Des Champs will be hoping it's not a repeat performance though from last year's Festival, where the Willie Mullins horse looked like having the Turners' Chase in the bag, before falling two fences from the finish.
But the racing gets underway on the final day with the Triumph Hurdle and it looks like it will be heading to Ireland with Mullins having the first four in the market.
It's headed by the grey Lossiemouth who has Paul Townend on board and has three wins from his four starts, however, he did taste defeat last time when beaten at Punchestown last month.
Blood Destiny is Mullins' second choice but there's little to split the top two and he rounds it off with Gala Marceau and Zenta, and it's a race where Virgin Bet customers will get 'Money Back as a free bet' up to £10 if your horse fails to win*
The County Hurdle is next up and it's a very open race, but once again Mullins has the bookmakers favourite in the shape of Hunters Yarn and Virgin Bet are paying 6 places instead of 4.
Corbetts Cross, owned by JP McManus and Three Card Brag are well fancied in another big field for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Chase where Virgin Bet pay for the first 4 home instead of 3, before the feature race of the whole Festival, the Gold Cup, gets underway.
Galopin Des Champs is the heavy favourite, but will be challenged by last season's winner A Plus Tard for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, but the latter has had a tough season to date and there are question marks as to whether they could repeat the feat of last year.
Britain's leading hope is Bravemansgame for Paul Nicholls, who will hope the win for Stage Star in yesterday's Turners Novices Chase, will kickstart his Festival, while last season's Grand National winner Noble Yeats will look to complete a famous double, with Virgin Bet paying 4 places instead of 3 in the big race.
Virgin Bet again go 4 places instead of 3 in the St James's Place Hunters' Chase and last season's winner Billaway will look to make it back-to-back successes, but will have the work cut out with the winning machine that is Vaucelet.
Allegorie De Vassy is a well-backed favourite for the Mares' Chase, but will go head-to-head with Impervious and the Festival rounds off with the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle and it's another field packed with potential winners with Virgin Bet paying 4 places instead of 3 in the finale.
Mullins has won this race four times and has the market leader in Spanish Harlem, while his Irish counterpart Gordon Elliott has Cool Survivor and Imagine with big chances.
Virgin Bet are offering your money back as a free bet if your horse fails to win the first race of every day of the Cheltenham Festival*. Click here to check out the market.
*Max Free Bet £10. Bet must be placed within 48hrs of 1st race each day - 1st cash bet on the 1st race each day of Cheltenham Festival (main market, ex antepost & specials). Win part e/w bet. Selection must lose. Free Bet: non-withdrawable, use in 7 days on sportsbook only. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply.
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