Henrietta Knight: I can't really see who is going to beat Al Boum Photo

Not many people can claim to have been in the almost unique position occupied by the Al Boum Photo camp heading into the feature race of the festival but the last trainer to mastermind a three-time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup thinks history can be repeated on Friday.

Henrietta Knight, who guided Best Mate with precision to land three consecutive Gold Cups from 2002 to 2004, believes the form of the Willie Mullins team so far this week and the fact Al Boum Photo relishes the contours of Cheltenham puts him in pole position to emulate Best Mate's treble on Friday.

"I think he probably will do it," said Knight from her jumping academy in Wantage on Thursday. "It's never easy to get a horse to Cheltenham three years in a row in absolute top nick, but Willie's horses are running extremely well and he's proved he gets up that hill very well.