It's the day all horse racing fans will have been waiting for. The Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place this afternoon, with the showpiece race highlighting the final day of the four-day Festival.

As with some of the sport's other biggest races, plenty of fans will be getting involved with a sweepstake. Some will use it as a way to add some extra excitement with a friendly battle among friends, family members or colleagues as they prepare to watch as a group.

Recent years have seen the Gold Cup dominated by Irish-trained runners. Last year it was Inothewayurthinkin, trained by Gavin Cromwell, who denied Galopin Des Champs a third straight win by crossing the finish line in first.

The race is approximately 3 miles and 2½ furlongs in length, with competing horses having to navigate 22 fences along the way. Last year was the first time since 2021 that a horse other than the favourite had won, while big headlines include the news that Galopin Des Champs won't run this year.

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This year, The Jockey Club's Gold Cup sweepstake will make things easy for anyone leaving it late to take in the action as a group. Its ready-to-print format means you can print off all the runners and riders in full, cut them out and put them in a bowl so people can draw their horses at random.

ITV's coverage of Friday's action at the Cheltenham Festival is due to get under way at 12.45pm on Friday with several races on the schedule. There are four races on before the Gold Cup itself, which is due to start at 4pm.