Imagine today's jumps stars 'pulling a tractor' in handicaps - and winning

The lack of major stars in the best handicaps has been lamented many times in recent years, but no race quite brings home just how much jump racing has changed in that respect like the newly rebranded Racing Post Gold Cup.

For obvious reasons, I'll be careful to call Saturday's Cheltenham feature by its proper title this year, but for too many of a certain vintage this will always be known as the Massey-Ferguson – which for the young city dwellers among our readership is a tractor manufacturer – and it was under that banner that some truly incredible weight-carrying records were achieved.

In 1964, the great Arkle went to post under 12st 10lb having picked up a 3lb penalty for his Hennessy win, which that year was just seven days before, but despite starting an 8-11 favourite the burden proved just too much and 'Himself' could finish only third, a short head and a length behind Flying Wild and Buona Notte, who were receiving 32lb and 26lb respectively.