Inothewayurthinkin heads Gold Cup line-up, but no Fact To File

Defending champion Inothewayurthinkin is one of 14 horses going forward for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup – but Fact To File has not been supplemented for the blue riband race on Friday.

The Irish Gold Cup hero is instead set to defend his crown in the Ryanair Chase on Thursday, leaving Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell) and Spillane’s Tower (Jimmy Mangan) to spearhead the challenge for owner JP McManus.

Willie Mullins on Friday announced dual winner Galopin Des Champs would miss the race, but the Closutton handler does still have major claims with Gaelic Warrior, who has been promoted to favouritism in the absence of his stablemate.

Affordale Fury (Noel Meade), Envoi Allen (Henry de Bromhead), Banbridge (Joseph O’Brien), plus Firefox and Stellar Story (both Gordon Elliott) bolster the Irish contingent.

The home team is led by The Jukebox Man, who famously won the King George VI Chase for trainer Ben Pauling and owner Harry Redknapp. Jango Baie was close-up in fourth place on Boxing Day and will carry the hopes of Nicky Henderson.

The Rebecca Curtis-trained Haiti Couleurs is flying the flag for Wales and will be ridden by champion jockey Sean Bowen, who is seeking an elusive first Festival triumph. Dan Skelton’s Grey Dawning and L’Homme Presse (Venetia Williams) are others for Britain. A French flavour is added by the Gabriel Leenders-trained Gold Tweet.

Elsewhere on the Gold Cup card, Paul Nicholls’ No Drama This end features in 32 confirmations for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, while Proactif and Selma De Vary leads the way for Mullins among 25 in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, which starts the big day.