Gold Cup with last year`s winner

Cheltenham, Friday 18 March: The Festival at Cheltenham concludes today with a seven-race card featuring the centrepiece Gold Cup (4th race/16.30pm/550,000 pounds/5294m).

Mindella Indo (Robbie Power) from the stable of Henry de Bromhead won the classic last year and the nine-year-old has the best chance of defending his title. In the preparation for the Irish Gold Cup (Group 1) he put a big exclamation mark as second. Al Boum Photo (Paul Townend) is the senior in the eleven-strong field and after all a two-time winner of this fixture. Whether his winning performance from Tramore in the New Year`s Day Chase (Group 3) will be enough for a top spot remains to be seen.

The English bookmakers rate Galvin (Davy Russell) and A Plus Tard (Rachael Blackmore) highest. The two eight-year-olds had their last clash in the Savills Chase (Group 1) on 28 December and only a `head` separated the two disputants. Protectorate (Harry Skelton) was on his own at Aintree in a race marked by retirements. Here in the Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Group 3) he was just a length short of victory. Royale Pagaille (Charlie Deutsch) was second in the Denman Chase (Group 2). Tornado Flyer (Danny Mullins) will find many supporters as winner of the King George VI Chase (Group 1). The certainly not bad Chantry House (Nico de Boinville), Asterion Forlonge (B. Cooper), Santini (Nick Shoelfield) and Aye Right (Callum Bewley) would provide high odds in the betting.