3.30pm - Gold Cup

Al Boum Photo (W Mullins)

Galvin (G Elliott)

Minella Indo (H De Bromhead)

Tornado Flyer (W Mullins)

Last year’s first three home are back and Minella Indo has a history of peaking at the right time in Cheltenham. Both he and A Plus Tard run on the back of defeats but the De Bromhead stable appears to be back in better form. The new element is Galvin, winner of the National Hunt Chase last year, who edged out A Plus Tard over Christmas. Gordon Elliott, a winner with Don Cossack in 2016, is notably positive about his chances. Rarely has a King George winner been so ignored in the Gold Cup build-up but Tornado Flyer has to prove his stamina.

The Irish contenders

4.10pm - St James’s Place Hunters Chase

Billaway (W Mullins) (favourite)

It Came To Pass (E O’Sullivan)

Winged Leader (D Christie)

Lord Schnitzel (D Queally)

Billaway will try to make it third time lucky having been beaten a nose by Porlock Bay last year and by It Came To Pass in 2020. He was well beaten by Winged Leader at Thurles in January but subsequently showed the benefit of that run at Naas when helped by first-time cheek-pieces. The big home hope Bob And Co is likely to emerge as a major rival.