Well, it has finally come: Gold Cup day. The biggest day of the season. Well, I always felt it was. This year’s race, with a small field, looks to be quite open, writes Ruby Walsh

The Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin outstayed the Gordon Elliott-trained Abacadabras up the famous hill to win a dramatic running of the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at odds of 6-1.

Gordon Elliott is hoping for the best possible ground at Cheltenham today to boost the chance of Abacadabras in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

As usual, the most spine-tingling moment of the week will come in the moment before the start of the opening contest, The Supreme Novice Hurdle.

It’s frightening to think the illegal presence of some animal in a market in the province of Hubei, in a city most of us had never previously heard of and few will ever visit could have such a profound and deadly impact on the world.

We’re three weeks and around four hours removed from the flag dropping to announce the commencement of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Gordon Elliott, who will hope to win it with Abacadabras, is in top form.

Sometimes you have to go through hard times to truly appreciate good ones. Just ask Jack Kennedy.

I don’t understand the betting for today’s feature race, the Punchestown Gold Cup.

With the rain that fell yesterday afternoon and all that is expected today, Sams Profile can reverse recent form over Battleoverdoyen when they renew rivalry in the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.