As some people may know on Friday it is the Cheltenham Gold Cup at Cheltenham

Would anyone be interested in taking part in a possible sweepstake where you get a horse chosen at random,

Roll of Honour:

2017-

1st Sizing John (Houdini)

2nd Minella Rocco (The-Bright Places

3rd Native River (SevenSeize)

2018-

1st Native River (King Rollo)

2nd Might Bite (PeteFromLeeds)

3rd Anibale Fly (Sarah)

4th Road To Respect (PeteFromLeeds)

2019-

1st Al Boum Photo 12/1

2nd Anibale Fly 22/1 (Mack)

3rd Bristol De Mai 18/1 (Mart!n)

4th Native River 6/1

2020-

1st Al Boum Photo

2nd Santini (Sarah)

3rd Lostintranslation

4th Monalee (SevenSeize)

2021-

1st Minella Indo 9-1 (dobbo)

2nd A Plus Tard 10-3 (Sarah)

3rd Al Boum Photo 9-4f (Jade)

4th Native River 12-1 (Houdini)

2022-

1st A Plus Tard 3-1f (steve201)

2nd Minella Indo 7-1 (Dobbo)

3rd Protektorat 10-1 (Houdini)

4th Galvin 6-1 (Ma Rollon)

2023-

1st Galopin De Champs 7-5f

2nd Bravemansgame 6-1 (lotita)

3rd Conflated 22-1 (awardinary)

4th Noble Yeats 14-1 (JulianT)

2024-

1st Galopin Des Champs 10-11f (Mack)

2nd Gerri Colombe 13-2 (Riser)

3rd Corach Rambler 14-1

4th L'Homme Presse 16-1 (Sarah)

Racecard:

1 362-3PP Ahoy Senor 10 11-10 T: Miss Lucinda V RussellJ: D R Fox Odds: 66/1

2 19-14U1 Banbridge 9 11-10 T: J P O'Brien J: J J Slevin. Odds: 6/1

3 F13-262 Corbetts Cross 8 11-10 T: E MullinsJ: J W Kennedy. Odds: 22/1

4 11-2311 Galopin Des Champs 9 11-10 T: W P MullinsJ: P Townend Odds: 4/7f

5 1P5-433 Gentlemansgame 9 11-10 T: M F MorrisJ: D J O'Keeffe. Odds: 66/1

6 911-754 Inothewayurthinkin 7 11-10 T: G P CromwellJ: M P Walsh. Odds: 7/1

7 312-225 Monty's Star 8 11-10 T: H De BromheadJ: Rachael Blackmore Odds: 10/1

8 F/1F-1P6 Royale Pagaille 11 11-10 T: Miss V WilliamsJ: Charlie Deutsch. Odds: 100/1

9 2P5-U14 The Real Whacker 9 11-10 T: P NevilleJ: B S Hughes. Odds: 33/1

Participants:

Mack

Dobbo

King Rollo

Sarah

Houdini

Me please!

Yes please.

Count me in

You can count me in also

Here we go:

Houdini:

3 F13-262 Corbetts Cross 8 11-10 T: E MullinsJ: J W Kennedy. Odds: 22/1

About:

High-class chaser who landed the National Hunt Chase at last year's Festival before a fine third to Gerri Colombe in Bowl at Aintree (25f, soft) in April. Operating a little below that level this season but will at least find this test more suitable than the 21f he ran over at Ascot last time.

Mack:

7 312-225 Monty's Star 8 11-10 T: H De BromheadJ: Rachael Blackmore Odds: 10/1

About:

Second to Fact To File and Spillane's Tower in Grade 1 novices here and at Punchestown last spring. Better effort this season when 7½ length fifth (Inothewayurthinkin neck ahead in fourth) to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month. Longer trip now should suit.

Sarah:

6 911-754 Inothewayurthinkin 7 11-10 T: G P CromwellJ: M P Walsh. Odds: 7/1

About:

Won the Kim Muir at this meeting last year before adding a Grade 1 novice at Aintree. Has found life tougher in top open company since but he did stay on well when 7¼ lengths fourth to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup (3m) 6 weeks ago and this longer trip will play to his strengths.

Dobbo:

2 19-14U1 Banbridge 9 11-10 T: J P O'Brien J: J J Slevin. Odds: 6/1

About:

Raced mostly at shorter but there's stamina in his pedigree and he proved suited by the return to 3m when overhauling Il Est Francais in the King George at Kempton. This race asks a different question but he's good enough to ensure Galopin Des Champs doesn't have things all his own way.

King Rollo:

5 1P5-433 Gentlemansgame 9 11-10 T: M F MorrisJ: D J O'Keeffe. Odds: 66/1

About:

Landed the 2023 Charlie Hall at Wetherby. Back to that sort of form when third of 9 to Galopin Des Champs in Savills at Leopardstown (3m) just after Christmas but below par when a well-held third in the Cotswold Chase here in January. Pulled up in this last year.

Result:

1st Inothewayurthinkin (Sarah)

2nd Galopin Des Champs

3rd Gentlemansgame (King Rollo)

4th Monty's Star (Mack)

Many congratulations to Sarah on winning this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup Sweepstake.

Many thanks to everyone who took part.

Congrats Sarah! Thank you for hosting Mack.

Well done Sarah. I'm quite happy with 3rd place for a 66/1 horse.