'It's definitely the most nervous I've ever felt before a horserace'

As My Drogo walked around the Cheltenham paddock, members of the Skelton family stood looking at each other sporting tense expressions – and that was before the race.

After their beautiful horse had won at Aintree in April, Dan Skelton talked openly about his Gold Cup dream. In a perfect world, that dream will be realised just 16 months from now. First, however, there would be an early taste of jumping Cheltenham's fences.

The fact the race had attracted only one other horse, the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Gin On Lime, was doing little to soothe the brow of showjumping legend Nick Skelton.