A long gap between the fences allows the field to find their rhythm. Barbados Buck's - quite fancied and backed by, ahem, some people - looks to be struggling a bit. Hmmm.

No messing about. Another clean start.

Vanillier and N'Golo - a couple of greys - dart to the front.

Sixteen runners here at a gloomy Cheltenham. Not sure if it is drizzling.

The field are all jostling as they walk up to the line.

Any Chelsea fans among you? You might be interested in N'Golo. If he is half as good as his namesake...

Last month at Leopardstown, Irish pair Stattler and Fakiera finished behind Gaillard Du Mesnil who went on to be runner-up in Tuesday's Ballymore Novices Hurdle

Fakiera will be hoping to reverse that placing over a longer distance while Denise Foster stablemate Torygraph is another with good chances.

Barbados Buck's comes from the same family as Festival favourite Big Buck's and Paul Nicholls will be hoping to add to his Cheltenham honours.

Image source, Getty Images

Before the feature race, there is one more to enjoy... where we get to look at potential high-class stayers of the future over three miles.

It's the wide-open Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle...

13:20 - JCB Triumph Hurdle 2m 1f - QUILIXIOS (2-1)

13:55 - County Handicap Hurdle 2m 1f - BELFAST BANTER (33-1)

14:30 - Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle 3m

15:05 - Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase 3m 2f

15:40 - Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters' Chase 3m 2 1/2f

16:15 - Mares' Chase 2m 4 1/2f

16:50 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle 2m 4 1/2f

I'm sure there isn't half a pint of the black stuff just outside of picture...

Ahhhhh! If this doesn't melt your heart then it is made of stone.

One jockey has certainly captured the public's attention this week...

Daryl Gray: Well done Rachael!

Steven Dickinson: Absolutely brilliant Rachel! Backed a few times this week

Mark S: To paraphrase a line this girl can and this girl bloody well did.

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at Cheltenham

Image source, BBC Sport

The statue of legendary Irish steeplechaser Arkle looks over the parade ring at Cheltenham Racecourse.

Even mentioning other horses in the same breath is sacrilege to some racing fans - a triple Gold Cup winner in the 1960s but much more than that.

Arkle was so superior to his rivals that two sets of weights were drawn up for his races - one set for if he ran, one for if he didn't.

The horse was revered in his homeland. He enjoyed a sip of Guinness. Letters arrived at his stables simply addressed to 'Himself'.

Today Al Boum Photo will look to become only the second horse since Arkle (Best Mate won in 2002, 2003 and 2004) to win the big race three times.

Image source, Getty Images

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)

In the midst of all that excitement, I missed the 'one hour to go' klaxon.

The '57 minutes to go' klaxon isn't quite as snappy.

Anyway, that's how long it is until the Gold Cup...

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

Belfast Banter asserted himself late on to win this nicely.

He was three lengths back at the last but once he got there he won well.

The Irish struggled for winners in the past here but there has been a seismic shift and that's a new record.

Image source, PA Media

Winning jockey Kevin Sexton, speaking to ITV Racing, after earning his first Cheltenham win at the age of 31 on board Belfast Banter: "I'm kind of in shock, I don't know just what happened - but it happened!

"It went very well, he jumped and travelled and was where I wanted him to be.

"He kept going and I always thought he'd get there."

1 Belfast Banter (K C Sexton) 33-1

2 Petit Mouchoir (J C Gainford) 22-1

3 Milkwood (R T Dunne) 28-1

4 Eclair De Beaufeu (J W Kennedy) 11-1

25 ran

Image source, PA Media

Super run! Kevin Sexton guides Belfast Banter up the long hill to absolute perfection. What a run from the 33-1 shot.

Another Irish winner! This time it is for Peter Fahey.

Milkwood takes over as they head towards the last... but there is group of five - including Belfast Banter - coming on strong. Anyone's...

Still Mengli Khan heads the field. Wonder if he's going to run out of steam though... the pack is closing...

Lovely, precise jumping by Mengli Khan. Third Time Lucki in the mix too, as is Petit Mouchoir. Less than a mile to go, just two hurdles left...

Everyone seems to be fine after the first couple of hurdles. Mengli Khan is setting the pace.