Jockey Jack Kennedy looks close to tears as he tries to put into words what this victory means to him.

Yesterday you may have seen him trudge back up the track after pulling up on 'banker' Envoi Allen.

Now the 20-year-old Irishman, who has suffered some serious injury problems, is experiencing emotions at the other end of the scale.

Here's what he says...

Andrew Thornton
Former Gold Cup-winning jockey on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

It was a good clean fight, hard from the front with Frodon but Minella Indo was never far away.

Rachael Blackmore had a chance, but maybe she didn't get the jump at the last that she would have wanted.

Image source, PA Media

Charlie Poste
Former jump jockey on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

That's the first call Rachael Blackmore has got wrong this week.

But credit to Henry de Bromhead. Something has changed at home and the horse travelled with purpose and jumped so well.

Jack Kennedy got a great tune out of him

As hard as A Plus Tard tried, he couldn't get by him.

Image source, PA Media

1 Minella Indo (J W Kennedy) 9-1

2 A Plus Tard (Rachael Blackmore) 10-3

3 Al Boum Photo (P Townend) 9-4 Fav

12 ran

A one-two for Henry de Bromhead! Jack Kennedy drives Minella Indo along the straight and to the line, the jockey climbing up in the saddle to celebrate the biggest win of his career.

Rachael Blackmore has been the star of the week but, on board A Plus Tard, falls agonisingly short in the big one.

Frodon fades.... Minella Indo leads but A Plus Tard is coming for him...

Here comes Al Boum Photo! And here is A Plus Tard as well....

Two to go...

Excellent pace this. Frodon - leaping over fences like there is a springboard before them - still leads. Engaging battle this is turning into...

Minella Indo closest to Frodon...

Another horse who has not been jumping well over the last few hurdles, Santini, is pulled up by Aidan Coleman.

Round the turn and into the straight. This is the first of two circuits. Frodon till setting the pace, with Kemboy Black Op and Minella Indo just behind.

Frodon still leads the field. A long way to go, of course...

Oh dear. Champ has been struggling from the start and drops out.

More mistakes from the back two horses at the third. Everyone else jumping smoothly. Frodon leads with Kemboy and Black Op close by...

Frodon heads to the front. Uneasy opening jumps from Champ and Royal Pagaille...

THE GOLD CUP IS UNDER WAY!

Here we go folks. Good luck everyone...

Grade 1 - £468,750 - 3m 2f

1 Al Boum Photo (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend)

2 A Plus Tard (Henry de Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore)

3 Aso (Venetia Williams/Daryl Jacob)

4 Black Op (Tom George/Tom Scudamore)

5 Champ (Nicky Henderson/Nico de Boinville)

6 Frodon (Paul Nicholls/Bryony Frost)

7 Kemboy (Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins)

8 Lostintranslation (Colin Tizzard/Robbie Power)

9 Minella Indo (Henry de Bromhead/Jack Kennedy)

10 Native River (Colin Tizzard/Richard Johnson)

11 Royale Pagaille (Venetia Williams/Charlie Deutsch)

12 Santini (Nicky Henderson/Aidan Coleman)

Kemboy swings out of the paddock and sprints up the track. He looks like he means business.

Rachael Blackmore and A Plus Tard are the last out. Will they be the first back?

Native River, who won the 2018 race, is bidding to become the first horse since Kauto Star to regain the crown.

It would be a popular win with trainer Colin Tizzard handing over his licence to son Joe in the coming weeks

The Tizzards also saddle Lostintranslation, who was third in last year's Gold Cup but has failed to recapture that form so far this term.

Last year's runner-up Santini will be aiming to go one better with a first-time visor while Peter Marsh Chase winner Royale Pagaille, who had a number of entries at the Festival is a fascinating contender for Venetia Williams, who also saddles outsider Aso.

Image source, Getty Images

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at Cheltenham

Former jockey Andrew Thornton, who won the Gold Cup in 1998 on Cool Dawn, believes there will be a three-peat today.

Thornton, part of the BBC Radio 5 live team, told me: "I’m a huge Al Boum Photo fan. Two Gold Cups so far, I think he’ll make it three in a row and join the greats."

Who is McCoy backing? Who do you think....

"He looks good," says the jumps legend.

We're about to find out if Champ is ready...