The 2020 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup: Runner-by-runner guide

Who wins chasing’s most coveted prize at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday? A final field of 12 has been declared for the £625,000 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup, which you can watch live on Racing TV at 3.30pm.

Here’s a guide to all the runners with essential trainer interviews and galloping clues.

Age: 8. Trainer: Willie Mullins. Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Odds: 7-2.

There was no mistaking the authority of his success last year and he has been kept fresh for his defence – in the mould of triple winner Best Mate. Still a slight question mark about his jumping – he fell two out in the RSA Chase two years ago – but he ticks plenty of boxes in his quest to become only the third back-to-back winner since 1972.

Age: 9. Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies. Rating: ★ ★ ★ Odds: 25-1.

The dual Betfair Chase winner travelled as well as anything in last year’s renewal but his stamina gave out in the closing stages and he had to settle for third, having been seventh in 2017. Was again outstayed in the Cotswold Chase last time, albeit when trying to concede 3lb to Santini. Should again make his presence felt but vulnerable where it matters.

Age: 8. Trainer: Henry De Bromhead. Rating: ★ ★ ★ Odds: 14-1.

Has raised his game this season and, given he’s a thorough stayer, did well to win over a trip short of his best last time out. However, deep ground looks essential for him and his best form has been achieved on right-hand tracks. Connections have been deliberating long and hard whether to run him or not.

Age: 8. Trainer: Paul Nicholls. Rating: ★ ★ ★ Odds: 8-1.

There’s no doubt the dual King George VI Chase winner has many attributes you look for in a Gold Cup winner in that he jumps, travels and can quicken. However, he weakened late in the scene when fifth last year and he has yet to achieve his best form at Cheltenham. Trainer hopeful more patient tactics will work the oracle but others might be stronger up the hill.

Age: 7. Trainer: Gordon Elliott. Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Odds: 11-2.

He was one of the top staying novices last season, when his efforts included finishing a close third in a memorable RSA. This campaign he has kicked on and shown an excellent attitude to get the job done in successive Grade One contests at Leopardstown. His staying power and willingness to scrap will make him a danger to all.

Age: 8. Trainer: Colin Tizzard. Rating: ★ Odds: 66-1.

A strong stayer but he looks among the weak links in this company. No excuses when sixth in last year’s renewal, having been a distant third to Presenting Percy in the RSA Chase 12 months before. His best effort this term was when third in the Ladbrokes Trophy but he ran poorly at Haydock last time.

Age: 8. Trainer: Willie Mullins. Rating: ★ ★ ★ Odds: 7-1.

Unseated his rider at the first fence last year (third successive failure at the Festival) but put that behind him with an impressive success at Aintree before edging out Al Boum Photo in a great tussle at Punchestown. He has yet to quite reproduce that form in Grade One contest at Leopardstown this term (both times behind Delta Work) and his habit of jumping right has to be a negative.

Age: 8. Trainer: Colin Tizzard. Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ Odds: 6-1.

His close clashes with Defi Du Seuil were a feature of last season and he began this term in great style, jumping superbly when scoring on his return at Carlisle before lowering the colours of course specialist Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase at Haydock. The wheels came off in the King George last time but he has since had a wind op and been freshened up. Needs to bounce back and stamina to prove.

Age: 9. Trainer: Henry De Bromhead. Rating: ★ ★ ★ Odds: 25-1

Has made the frame at the past two Festivals (runner-up in the RSA Chase two years ago and fourth in the Ryanair 12 months ago) and ran as well as he has ever done when touched off by Delta Work last time, when he might have won had his jockey not lost her irons on the run-in. The big doubt, though, is whether he will have the stamina reserves to land this.

Age: 9. Trainer: Pat Kelly. Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Odds: 12-1.

The memory of his fluent wins in the Pertemps Final (2017) and RSA Chase (2018) linger, and you can put a line through his below-par display in the Gold Cup last year as he finished lame. Solid spins this term without quite reaching the next level, having every chance when third to Delta Work in the Irish Gold Cup last time. Cannot be underestimated, though, given his effectiveness at the track and that he stays so well.

Age: 7. Trainer: Willie Mullins. Rating: ★ Odds: 33-1.

Something of a surprise to see him running in this instead of the Ryanair Chase on Thursday. He’s got some smart form to his name but it’s all over shorter distances and he has never shaped as if wanting such a stamina test. Also has to be forgiven a poor run at Gowran last time.

Age: 8. Trainer: Nicky Henderson. Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Odds: 4-1.

Has gone close at the Festival for the past two years, finishing third in the Albert Bartlett two years ago and runner-up in the RSA last year after an interrupted preparation. Underwhelming when scrambling home on his return at Sandown but much more like it when outstaying Bristol De Mai (gave 3lb) in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham last time. May still be more to come, especially if first-time cheekpieces add a bit of sharpness.

This could be a classic Gold Cup with seven of the runners boasting an official rating of at least 170 and so little betweeen them.

As ever, I'm looking for a bit of value and the 12-1 chalked up against Presenting Percy represents that. He may well drift, too, because most folk seem to view him negatively after his flop last year and inability to win this term.

However, his previous Festival heroics indicate just how well the ten-year-old operates at the track and he traded odds-on in the Irish Gold last time when cruising into contention only to falter. I put that down to a muddling pace, as he is a thorough stayer.

And end-to-end gallop on Friday will play to his strengths and it is not difficult to envisage Davy Russell biding his time before smuggling him into contention. At double-figure digits, the combination are worth a play.