The fourth day of the welcomes the prestigious , where some of the finest in the sport will compete over 22 fences. This year's event is dominated by the narrative surrounding the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs, who is and hot favourite to achieve a rarely seen three consecutive wins.

Among his competitors are a host of Irish and British challengers, including King George winner Banbridge, who thrives on good ground, ' supplemented Inothewayurthinkin, and 's mount, Monty's Star. The victor of the coveted Gold Cup will not only etch their name into the annals of history but will also be handsomely rewarded for their efforts, as the 3m2f competition boasts 's most generous prize pool.

A whopping £363,999 will go to the winner of the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup, with the total prize money for the event standing at a substantial £625k, according to the .

In 2024, the runner-up in the race took home over £130k, while third place earned just over £66k. Fourth and fifth place received around £33k and £16k respectively. Jockeys typically pocket between eight to 10 per cent of the prize money won, with the lion's share going to the owner.

The Gold Cup's total prize money accounts for roughly an eighth of the overall pot up for grabs at this year's Cotswolds event, which stands at a record-breaking £4.93million. This prestigious National Hunt race first took place under the Gold Cup moniker in 1819, with the winning owner receiving 100 guineas.

In contrast, the inaugural Gold Cup at the Festival in 1924 saw its victor pocket £685 - equivalent to around £35k in today's money. Since 2004, the champion of the blue riband race has walked away with over £200k, with Best Mate's last two victories earning connections £203k each.

Mullins' Galopin Des Champs has claimed approximately £352k for each of his first two triumphs and is well-positioned to complete the hat-trick. The son of Timos started his campaign modestly, finishing third in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown behind winner Fact To File, but bounced back impressively at his favoured Leopardstown in the Savills Chase.

He clinched his third consecutive Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival last time out, and few are betting against him repeating the feat in Gloucestershire. Nine hopefuls make up the field for the 2025 renewal, but all attention will be on one horse.

Renowned trainer Paul Nicholls has thrown his full support behind the gelding, confidently telling : "He'll win at Cheltenham this week. I can't see anything beating him. The way he's improved this year... And riding him from the front positively seemed to have suited him a little bit. Ultimately, he'd be very hard to beat. I'd be surprised if he was beaten.

"They [the Irish] have got some smart horses to run this year, especially in those Grade 1 races. Do you know what? The best horses always win those Grade 1 races. They should because they're the best horse. They've got an advantage on advantageous terms. Those horses win the best races because they're the best."