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The 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured a relatively small, but select, field of nine runners, five of whom were trained in Ireland. Don Cossack, trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Bryan Cooper, was sent off favourite at 9/4, despite having fallen at the second last, when staying on, in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The winner that day was Cue Card, trained by Colin Tizzard and ridden by Paddy Brennan, who reopposed, on the same terms, in the Gold Cup and, understandably, started second-favourite at 5/2.

O’Faolains Boy, trained by Rebecca Curtis, and Smad Place, trained by Alan King, disputed the lead for much of the way but, when the race began in earnest, over the final three fences, both were soon left behind. The complexion of the race changed dramatically when Cue Card, who had been disputing the lead, travelling well, fell at the third last. Shortly afterwards, Don Cossack took the lead from the 2015 runner-up, Djakadam, trained by Willie Mullins, and soon took a commanding advantage. On the run-in, Don Cossack only had to be pushed out to beat Djakadam by 4½ lengths and provide Elliott and Cooper with their first victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Don Poli, owned, like Don Cossack, by Gigginstown House Stud and one of a trio trained by Willie Mullins, stayed on from well off the pace to finish third, beaten a further 10 lengths, but never really posed any threat to the leading pair. Nevertheless, he did complete a notable 1-2-3 in the Cheltenham Gold Cup for Irish-trained horses. However, Willie Mullins saddled the runner-up for the sixth time, without ever having won the ‘Blue Riband’ event of British steeplechasing.

The 1995 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured fifteen runners, but was the first renewal for five years not to include The Fellow, who had been denied by a short head in both 1991 and 1992, before finally claiming the elusive prize in 1994. In his absence, Jodami, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1993 and runner-up in 1994, was well-fancied, at 7/2, to add to his winning tally, but the marginal favourite was Master Oats, at 100/30, with 8/1 bar the pair.

Notwithstanding a fall towards the end of the first circuit in the 1994 Grand National, Master Oats had won his last six completed starts, including an impressive, 20-length victory over Earth Summit in the rearranged Welsh National at Newbury on New Year’s Eve and a 15-length defeat of the mare Dubacilla in the Pillar Property Investments Chase at Cheltenham on his most recent start.

Trained by Kim Bailey in Lambourn, Berkshire and ridden by Norman Williamson, Master Oats arrived at Prestbury Park at the peak of his powers and appeared a worthy favourite. Indeed, in the race itself, his main market rival, Jodami, proved a major disappointment; a series of mistakes put him on the back foot and he was already beaten when making another mistake at the third-last fence.

Master Oats, too, was hardly foot-perfect on the first circuit, but gradually warmed to his task. He led at the second-last fence and soon established a clear lead, before staying on strongly on the infamously gruelling climb to the winning post. At the line, he was 15 lengths ahead of his old rival Dubacilla, with 1994 Grand National winner Minnehoma a similar distance further back in third place. Having won the Champion Hurdle with Alderbrook two previously, Bailey and Williamson became the first trainer-jockey partnership to complete the Champion Hurdle – Cheltenham Gold Cup double since Vincent O’Brien and Aubrey Brabazon did so with Hatton’s Grace and Cottage Rake in 1950.

The 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured thirteen runners, including Djakadam, runner-up in 2015 and 2016 for luckless Co. Carlow trainer Willie Mullins, and the equally luckless Cue Card, who had fallen three out, when travelling well, in 2016. The pair were separated in the betting by the Welsh National-winner Native River and, with Sizing John, a first ever runner in the Gold Cup for veteran Co. Kildare trainer Jessica Harrington, the only other horse sent off at a single-figure price, it appeared a four-horse race, at least on paper. The race was also notable for the presence of Lizzie Kelly, just the second woman to ride in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, although he partnership with 40/1 outsider Tea For Two lasted only as far as the second fence.

Sadly, Cue Card once again came to grief at the third-last fence but, unlike the previous year, was making little or no impression at the time and looked unlikely to be involved in the finish. Confirmed front-runner Native River attempted to make all the running, but was narrowly headed by Djakadam at the second-last fence and thereafter, while he stayed on very gamely in the closing stages, was always fighting a losing battle.

Immediately he had taken the lead, Djakadam made a mistake and surrendered the advantage to Sizing John, who established a 3-length advantage heading to the final obstacle, which he maintained, more or less, to the winning line. He passed the post 2¾ lengths ahead of the strong-finishing Minella Rocco, trained by Jonjo O’Neill, who claimed second place from Native River, by just a short head, in the final stride. Djakadam, to his credit, kept pressing for second place from the final fence but, ultimately, could find no extra in the closing stages and had to settle for fourth, just half a length behind Native River.

The 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured just nine runners – the smallest field since 1992 – and had the distinction of being the first renewal since 2007 not to feature Kauto Star, who was retired from racing the previous October. However, the field did include The Giant Bolster and Long Run, second and third in 2012, Betfair Chase-winner Silviniaco Conte and Hennessy Gold Cup-winners Bobs Worth and Sir Des Champs, so was by no means lacking in quality. Unsurprisingly, it was a tight betting heat, with Bobs Worth just shading favouritism at 11/4, ahead of stable companion Long Run at 7/2 and Silviniaco Conte and Sir Des Champs at 4/1.

Ridden by his regular partner, amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen, Long Run attempted to make all the running, but hit the third-last fence and was soon joined by Sir Des Champs. At the same fence, Silviniaco Conti, who had been travelling well in a close third, fell and, in so doing, hampered Bobs Worth, who was left with 8 lengths to find on the leading pair.

However, galvanised by jockey Barry Geraghty, Bobs Worth produced a strong run on the approach to two out, struck the front between the final two fences and forged clear in the final half a furlong or so to win by 7 lengths. Sir Des Champs, who had dropped to third, rallied on the run-in to deny Silviniaco Conti of second-place, by 2¾ lengths, but could make no impression on the winner in the closing stages. Bobs Worth was completing a notable Cheltenham Festival hat-trick, having won the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in 2011 and the RSA Chase in 2012.