Cheltenham Festival 2024 LIVE: Day 4 – Galopin Des Champs, Fastorslow, Corach Rambler all among the runners for the Gold Cup at 3.30pm

St Patrick’s Thursday took on a touch of Cup Final day as the legendary gaffers claimed three out of seven races – both owners winning at the Festival for their first time.

Mail Sport’s Dominic King looks back on a day for football-lovers, below.

1989’s running of the race saw Desert Orchid, one of the sport’s best-loved horses, battle through the soupy conditions to beat mudlark Yahoo at the last, and enshrine himself as one of the most successful – and popular – horses in National Hunt history.

If you’ve never seen his miraculous winning run – I implore you to watch the below clip.

2.50pm – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle

4.10pm – St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase

5.30pm – Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle

We’ll be underway on Day Four in just over an hour and a half – ample time to peruse what our expert tipsters over at Paddy Power have to say on every one of the day’s races.

You can read their thoughts in full, below.

Talks of a green-wash may yet resurface as night falls this evening, but after a strong Thursday, a rout topping last year’s has been cancelled after an impressive turn from British trainers.

That means the standings ahead of Day Four are: Ireland 12-8 Great Britain.

That’s thanks in no small part to a heroic effort from Dan Skelton’s yard, with brother Harry aboard winners Protektorat, Monmiral, Langer Dan, and Grey Dawning.

For those looking to back the red-hot trainer’s runners today, keep an eye on:

• Faivoir and L’Eau Du Sud in the County Hurdle
• Jay Jay Reilly in the Martin Pipe

L’Eau Du Sud has certainly had his prospects boosted after an impressive Festival for the yard – Paddy Power has him as the favourite in the 2.10pm at 7/2.

Former Festival jockey Lizzie Kelly has been on fire this week, and her predictions remain unmissable viewing.

She and Mail Sport’s Marcus Townend share their thoughts on Galopin Des Champs, Triumph Hurdle prospect Kargese, and Readin Tommy Wrong in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Check out all of their thoughts below.

The afternoon’s resplendent top prize, in all its glory, and no less shiny for the bleak grey skies overhead.

A new Gold Cup trophy is cast every year, and it’s worth an estimated £10,000 – that’s what 10 ounces of gold looks like, for your information.

Last year’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner steps up to the big one 12 months on, but as his trainer Patrick Neville explains, the conditions could yet stop the horse from showing his best form.

Conditions are tough down over there. We’re delighted to be here, and it’s brilliant to be running in the Gold Cup.

There’s only one Gold Cup, so we have to take our chance. Conditions aren’t really in our favour, but you never know.

The Willie Mullins-trained Gold Cup winner is in tremendous form coming back into the contest he swept to victory in last year, having beaten major rival Fastorslow in their last meeting at Leopardstown in February.

Mullins was denied the opportunity to tip over his 100-race milestone yesterday, but there’s little doubt he’ll add a few more winners to his Festival haul today – and perhaps claim the biggest prize of all.

But then, typically, the heavens are set to open yet again. It’s been a waterlogged week in the Cotswolds, and as a result, we’ve been denied some key runners, including Gold Cup prospect Hewick from John Hanlon’s yard.

Shishkin was also withdrawn earlier in the week, due to the mysterious ailment that has decimated Nicky Henderson’s horses at the worst possible moment.

Mail Sport columnist is looking forward to a mouthwatering 100th anniversary celebration of the Gold Cup this afternoon, but before that – a word on yesterday’s impressive British fightback.

Things were looking abysmal for the hosts on Wednesday evening, but after claiming five winners to Ireland’s two on Thursday, some genuine needle has been injected back into the Prestbury Cup.

You can read more from the ITV Racing host, below.

The rain began to fall once again on Cheltenham towards the latter half of yesterday, and overnight, there were some biblical looking shots of Cheltenham High Street.

As such, yesterday’s Soft, Heavy in places going is updated to Heavy on the Hurdle course and Soft, Heavy in places on the Chase course, as Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin explains below.

First up, it’s our daily Cheltenham Breakfast bulletin, bringing you everything you might have missed from a scintillating Day Three at the Festival.

It was a day for football managers, rank outsiders, and the British fighting back on St Patrick’s Thursday… and you can catch up on it all, below.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the big one – it’s Gold Cup Day at Cheltenham, with the feature race taking place in just over five hours at 3.30pm.

We’ve got a raft of tempting contenders in the mix, such as last year’s winner Galopin Des Champs, last year’s runner-up Bravemansgame, and Grand National winner Corach Rambler.

But the going could prove a curveball for the most coveted trophy in National Hunt racing, after yet more rain at a boggy Prestbury Park over night.

Cheltenham Friday kicks off at 1.30pm, but before then, we’ll bring you all the latest news, build-up, and Gold Cup info right here.