ED CHAMBERLIN: The stars are aligning for an epic Gold Cup with relentless Galopin Des Champs again looking ominous as he screams ‘catch me if you can’ to the chasing pack

The Cheltenham Gold Cup – just saying these four words is enough to quicken the heartbeat and transport you back to the time when legends were made.

I can understand why, 24 days into this year’s festival, that excitement is not widespread.

The prospect of some championship races in small fields with odds-on favorites leaves some critics cold and I completely understand that.

But the competition that Boodles sponsors – and the one that defines the four days – turns into a firecracker. It’s been 100 years since Red Splash won the first race and to mark the centenary we have a renewal that shimmers and shines.

When looking at the contenders, Galopin Des Champs is the obvious starting point and I noticed the satisfaction in Willie Mullins when he gave an optimistic bulletin about the champion earlier this week.

Everything this gelding has done this winter screams ‘catch me if you can’. He was ruthless in two Grade One wins at Leopardstown. I’d say he’s almost unbeatable over five kilometers in Dublin and the most impressive part of his races are usually the closing stages. He has incredible stamina. However, the field he beat last year did not have the depth of this field.

For example, Fastorslow – the second favorite – is bursting with potential and you would be foolish to think he cannot reverse the form of his clash with Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup two weeks ago.

Martin Brassil, who trains Fastorslow, is a genius when it comes to having a horse cherry ripe for a given day. He drove a brilliant race in the Ultima at the Festival last year and continues to lead the way. This is a big player.

This also applies to Shishkin. The Nicky Henderson star has received a Timeform smack for some of his antics. A ‘squiggle’ is like a matrix sign on the highway that screams: be careful!

If he were a footballer, you would think of Paolo di Canio or Mario Balotelli. The talent is rare and capable of creating magical moments, but if you catch them on a bad day, all hell can break loose. They might as well be sent off as score.

This is Shishkin in a nutshell. He has won six Grade 1 races – two of them at Cheltenham – as well as four Grade 2 races, but all the talk about him led to him refusing to start at Ascot last November and then stumbling in Boxing Day’s King George. What will happen at Cheltenham? Your guess is as good as mine. He could hate every second of the Gold Cup, or he could travel around as happily as Larry. If the latter happens, he has the opportunity to beat Galopin Des Champs.

The further down the antepost list we go, the more we can see dangers to the favorite. Shark Hanlon is convinced Hewick, the ultimate ITV horse with his incredible story, will be in the middle of trouble. Keep reminding yourself that this horse cost £800 because his CV is extraordinary.

People will tell you that Gentlemansgame can’t win because he hasn’t raced since November. To that I would answer that he was trained by Mouse Morris, a man who could have a second job as a magician because of his ability to pull rabbits out of hats.

Corach Rambler, the Grand National winner, hasn’t been discussed, but he’s my idea of ​​the best each-way bet at 25-1. He will be at the back of the field and work his way through as his endurance kicks in. Maybe he goes to extremes.

But that also applies to L’Homme Presse, which neatly brings us back to today. He is expected to win the Betfair Ascot Chase and while I am not convinced the track will play to his strengths, he should have too much class for his three rivals.

A win here would give the British challenge another important arrow to aim at Galopin Des Champs.

And that’s what we want in the blue ribbon of National Hunt racing: intense competition. The days until March 15 cannot pass quickly enough.

Ed Chamberlin is a Sky Bet ambassador