Cheltenham Gold Cup: Cue Card & Native River run for Colin Tizzard

Cue Card and Native River with their trainer Colin Tizzard will be looking for success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup

Cue Card will bid to make amends for a late fall last year when he lines up for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

The popular steeplechaser, under the guidance of trainer Colin Tizzard, will have stablemate Native River among his rivals.

A strong Irish challenge includes the two-time runner-up Djakadam who bids to secure a first win for trainer Willie Mullins.

Outlander, for in-form Gordon Elliott, and Sizing John are other contenders.

Lizzie Kelly on Tea For Two will be the first woman to ride in the race for 33 years.

A sell-out crowd of about 60,000 is expected for jump racing's showpiece event where runners negotiate 22 fences over three-and-a-quarter miles.

• Full Cheltenham Gold Cup racecard

• Walsh and Mullins dominate Cheltenham day three

Redemption for Cue Card?

Jockey Paddy Brennan said in an interview published earlier this week he "wanted to die" after Cue Card fell three fences from the finish in last year's Gold Cup won by Don Cossack.

Cue Card was disputing the lead and missed out on a potential £1m bonus for winning the race.

Now aged 11, the popular horse has gone on to win a third Betfair Chase at Haydock this season, before losing out to stablemate Thistlecrack in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day and winning at Ascot in February.

Cue Card won his third Betfair Chase at Haydock earlier this season

Brennan will be on board again, while champion jockey Richard Johnson partners Native River, winner of the Hennessy at Newbury, the Welsh Grand National and February's Denman Chase at Newbury.

Tizzard, whose long-time Gold Cup favourite Thistlecrack was ruled out with injury last month, said he has no preference for his hopefuls.

"There is no way I would want one horse to win more than the other," said the 61-year-old, who trains on the Somerset/Dorset border.

"All I want them to do is run their races, come back fit and sound and may the best horse win."

Leading lady goes for gold

Kelly will become the first woman to ride in the race since Linda Sheedy pulled up the rank outsider Foxbury in 1984.

"It's very interesting and a great privilege, but I see myself just the same as everyone else," said the 23-year-old Kelly who is used to making headlines.

She became the first female rider to win a Grade One race over jumps, with Tea For Two at Kempton in December 2015.

"If people look at me and think they'd like to do the same, that's great," said Kelly, who rides for her stepfather trainer Nick Williams and has been working as a pundit on BBC Radio 5 live this week.

"I appreciate a lot of girls don't have the support I've had but if you're good enough, you'll get the opportunities.

"I'm very excited and looking forward to it. I've looked back at old videos and seen different ways of winning a Gold Cup and have my plan. I think we've got a good chance of a place."

Seventh time lucky for Mullins?

The 2017 Festival turned into a winning one for Mullins on Thursday after the usually dominant Irish champion trainer had suffered disappointments on the opening two days, including the shock defeat of Queen Mother Champion Chase favourite Douvan.

Douvan lost out in the Queen Mother Champion Chase to Special Tiara

He has saddled the runner-up of the Gold Cup six times but has yet to taste victory, and will be hoping for a change of luck.

Djakadam has chased home Coneygree and Don Cossack in the past two Gold Cups.

But he has enjoyed a better preparation this time and is expected to go well for the Festival's all-time leading jockey Ruby Walsh, who rode a four-timer for Mullins on Thursday.

The other contenders

In contrast to Mullins, Elliott is enjoying a successful week and seeks to follow up Don Cossack's 2016 win with Outlander this time.

Jessica Harrington saddles her first runner in the race - Irish Gold Cup winner Sizing John - with Henry de Bromhead represented by Champagne West.

Jonjo O'Neill runs More Of That and Minella Rocco, while Bristol De Mai, Saphir Du Rheu and two of last year's finishers - fifth-placed Irish Cavalier and Smad Place (eighth) - complete the field.

What's it like to win a Gold Cup?

Andrew Thornton, winning rider on Cool Dawn in 1998

Andrew Thornton knows what it feels like to win the Gold Cup, in 1998 he did just that on Cool Dawn

"Every jockey dreams of riding in the Gold Cup. If you're on something you fancy, you'll have it mapped out weeks before.

"You get down to the start and you're on your own with the plan you've devised. You try to get a clear passage and get the horse jumping well and after that you're in the lap of the gods.

"To win it was the best thing that ever happened in my career.

"Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins had a four-timer on Thursday and it could be their year with Djakadam. He handles the track and occasion and has had an uninterrupted preparation."