Gruelling for sure but was last year's Gold Cup any good?

Last year's Gold Cup was gruelling. Soft ground meant it took Native River seven minutes and two seconds to win it – 26 seconds longer than Sizing John the previous year.

Of the nine who finished, only Road To Respect (fourth) and Definitly Red (sixth) have won this season. Of the 15 who started, only Bachasson (faller at the second) joins that list.

There is a theory, which Nicky Henderson agrees with, that Native River and Might Bite had the luxury of racing on the best strip of ground throughout, grass that had not been touched all week.

Henderson said: "The ground from the back of the last in the Gold Cup just did Might Bite in. They had a lovely strip of ground on the inside all the way throughout the Gold Cup, but after jumping the last fence you then cross courses which had been used all week and it was the wettest part of the whole course."

Patrick Mullins was on board Djakadam, who finished fifth on his fourth crack at the race, but the most successful Irish amateur of all time feels his mount did not show his true worth on the day.

Mullins said: "There weren’t many who wanted to be handy at the start. My plan was to follow Might Bite. We went a good gallop, then slowed up passing the stands, before quickening all the way up the back against the hill.

"The first two got away slightly as the horses immediately chasing them didn’t perform, which dragged the mid-division horses away from the front two.

"Our Duke, Definitly Red and my horse, Djakadam, were all well below form. I was flat out from the sixth-last, even though I’m sitting still and barely moving. The ground was on the soft side but nowhere near heavy."

Should Native River retain his crown, the 2018 edition will instantly have a rather tainted reputation restored. Anibale Fly (third) or Road To Respect (fourth) would do a similar job.

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