ED CHAMBERLIN: Time to revel in a proper Gold Cup on 100th anniversary of big race… and it was great to see a glorious fightback from the Brits on the day people fell in love with Cheltenham again

Selections can wait. The only place to start is by far the best day of this year’s festival, a day where it felt like people fell in love with Cheltenham again.

I was flat when I left the track on Wednesday and I wasn’t afraid to say so in Mail Sport on Thursday. I was genuinely concerned that the British horses would be ravaged again, but what a glorious fight it turned out to be.

Then Skelton? Wow. He climbed to the top of the British Trainers’ Championship with his third and fourth winners of the week. I was convinced that Gray Dawning would win and that beautiful gray did not let us down. But getting Protektorat to take over Ryanair was something else entirely.

Having Sir Alex Ferguson involved in the ownership was just perfect. I said in these pages in November that he is racing’s greatest ambassador and the excitement he will have with his great friends, Ged Mason and John Hales, will be extraordinary.

Some forty minutes earlier the trio had won the Pertemps with Monmiral and I assure you the happiness in the winners’ room was unbridled – later matched by that of Harry Redknapp, whose Shakem Up’Arry was the first to cross the post in the Plate amid noisy cheers.

Sir Alex Ferguson is one of racing’s greatest ambassadors and enjoyed his success on Thursday

Ferguson 2 Redknapp 1 – you’ve seen that score somewhere before.

What about popular West County coach Jeremy Scott in action with Golden Ace?

This was a real Cheltenham afternoon; The winners were split, some favorites went in, but it felt like everyone had a fighting chance. The previous two days felt too one-sided.

Sport needs competition and this sport will have plenty of it as we reach the crescendo and the main event, the 100th Cheltenham Gold Cup. There are some notable absentees, but for the occasion we still have a race. This is a real Gold Cup.

Defending champion Galopin Des Champs sets the standard and will be a tough nut to crack, especially if the conditions underfoot are good.

It’s easy to see Galopin galloping to victory again and the only thing not to like about him is the short price. Taking evens, possibly odds-on, in a match that will be conducted with lung-burning ferocity? You would be braver than me.

Owners John Hales (C) and Sir Alex Ferguson (second right) celebrate after Prokektorat wins the Ryanair Steeple Chas

Golden Ace took a stunning victory in the penultimate race on day three at Cheltenham

Fastorslow was behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown in February, but that was not his Gold Cup. He is trained down to the minute for today by his smart handler Martin Brassil and is the best jumper on the field. I’ll be surprised if he’s not in the top three.

Unfortunately, we won’t see Shishkin. Thank God, I would have liked to see Shishkin. But this has been a week to test Nicky Henderson’s patience and we will now never know whether the enigmatic gelding would have been able to tolerate the crowds and claustrophobia of this test. He had the talent to win a Gold Cup, but the question about his determination will remain unanswered.

What a shame that the ground has gone against Hewick. An £800 Gold Cup winner would have been a story straight out of a film script.

However, in their absence, others can make things difficult for Galopin Des Champs. Gerri Colombe hasn’t quite lived up to the hype and may need an absolute slugfest to get close, but owner Brian Acheson is enjoying an excellent week with two winners, and a third wouldn’t be a shock.

Very few horses get beaten in a Gold Cup and come back to win it. Bravemansgame has its work cut out for it.

L’Homme Presse is also a good contender for the home team, but is he good enough?

Dan Skelton (right) climbed to the top of the British trainers’ championship on Thursday

We know where we stand with most of these horses, but we still don’t know anything about Corach Rambler. Last year he won this meeting and went on to win the Grand National. He loves to swing through horses in a big field, and if he’s still in the fight at the bottom of the hill, he’ll win. I say that with confidence. I’ve been talking him out of it for weeks and I won’t let him down now.

My two big plays are now non-runners – Sir Gino and Shanagh Bob – but I will have a bit of interest in King Of Kingsfield in the County Hurdle. Gordon Elliott’s team believes that this horse can run top competitions and that he has good weight. Follow him closely.