Along with the favourite, 12 rivals include the Irish Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, trained by Willie Mullins.

King George VI Chase victor Bravemansgame and Grand National winner Noble Yeats are among the challengers, with a sell-out 70,000 crowd expected at the track.

De Bromhead's 2022 runner-up and previous champion Minella Indo, plus last year's third-placed horse Protektorat, also line up.

Ahoy Senor bids to become the first Scottish-trained winner while Hewick would be a fairytale success for John 'Shark' Halon.

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The main talking point is whether Rachael Blackmore can earn a repeat Gold Cup victory on A Plus Tard after making history 12 months ago.

Blackmore, who rides for trainer Henry de Bromhead, was the first female jockey to win the big race.

A Plus Tard was well backed by punters on Thursday after the rider and trainer combined to win with Envoi Allen.

Little over 20 minutes until the one which the jump racing world has been waiting for.

It's Gold Cup time!

Shall we?

There's a Gold Cup at the end of that rainbow.

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

Image source, Getty Images

You wince at incidents like that with Corbetts Cross because you don't know what the outcome will be when the horse ducked out at the last second.

For Mark Walsh it was literally at the last second. Luckily horse and jockey seem to be ok.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls, speaking ITV Racing: "He looks fantastic. He ran how he looked. He jumped really well. There's lots of improvement to come from him.

"Having had two winners now I am dead relaxed. It makes such a difference."

Winning jockey Harry Cobden, speaking to ITV Racing: "I could hear what happened behind me. My horse is very inexperienced, he's very green but he got his head down.

"This horse stays forever. Great for the boss."

Charlie Poste
Former jump jockey on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

They have minds of their own these horses. The plastic wing of the hurdle has been obliterated but we are seeing Corbetts Cross’ jockey Mark Walsh walk away gingerly.

It was high drama but I think Stay Away Fay was getting the better of the argument at that point.

Good news - Corbetts Cross jockey Mark Walsh is up on his feet. Fingers crossed he has suffered no serious damage.

A replay shows us the favourite tried to dart around the final hurdle after spotting a gap on the right.

1 Stay Away Fay (H Cobden) 18-1

2 Affordale Fury (Sam Ewing) 150-1

3 Sandor Clegane (S F O'Keeffe) 28-1

20 ran

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Another winner for Paul Nicholls-Harry Cobden!

Stay Away Fay, an 18-1 outsider, stays strong and stays brave, blocking out all the drama of Corbetts Cross' fall to earn a stunning victory.

Towards the last... favourite Corbetts Cross has crashed!!

Looks like the horse is up and OK.

Stay Away Fay sprinting towards the line...

Four horses head the field, lined up in a row.

Stay Away Fay and Rock My Way still up there, Corbetts Cross ready to make a move...

Anyone backed Seabank Bistro? He's pulled up. Sorry.

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Halfway round then and the customary roar of the crowd pricks the ears.

The field remains bunched as they go over the fourth-last hurdle.

Corbetts Cross is pacing nicely, taking a line out wide.

Rock My Way still leads, with Embassy Gardens and Thomas Mor, in close attendance as they come round the bend.

Easy jumping over the first couple of hurdles as the runners find their rhythm nicely.

Rock My Way heads a tight bunch. Loooong way to go.

Let's go...

Corbetts Cross is still the favourite at 9-4, with Three Card Brag just behind in the market.

No chance of a full house for Three Card Brag's trainer Gordon Elliott, but he's hoping for a decent run...

A big field of 20 runners for the Novices' Hurdle and all of them look calm as they approach the starting line.