A lay rather than a play day - but a cracking finale to Ireland's week

As you may have noticed, it’s Gold Cup day. The day of Golden Miller and Cottage Rake, of Desert Orchid and Best Mate, of Kauto Star and Denman, and, above them all, of Arkle, Arkle, Arkle.

But enough of that, you want to know what’s going to win this one, and so do I. Will Al Boum Photo win it for the third time? Will A Plus Tard crown a wonderful week for Rachael Blackmore? Will Champ be one? These are just some of the questions to which I don’t know the answers.

Luckily, since the birth of Betfair, finding losers can be as rewarding, if a lot less seemly and less satisfying, than finding winners. Needs must, and it’s my belief that the horses who finished second and third behind Al Boum Photo last year, Santini and Lostintranslation, will fare much less well this year.