If Presenting Percy wins, it will bring the house down

Ten years ago, I was in Southampton General hooked up to a chemo machine getting treatment for stomach cancer. I persuaded the nurses to let me sneak a telly in and I watched Kauto Star beat Denman in the Gold Cup. It was a major bullet dodged and days of sport like yesterday remind me how lucky I am.

I have been presenting TV for 20 years and I do not think I have ever had an hour like we had with Bryony Frost, and then Andrew Gemmell. This was a Manchester City “Aguero!” moment for racing: Bryony is just great for our sport, and I honestly found myself speechless when Andrew won the next one as well.

We saw one of the great Cheltenham stories 25 years ago when trainer Tom Foley boarded a plane for the first time and brought Danoli over along with the hopes of all of Ireland. Danoli delivered and Cheltenham shook under an almighty Irish celebration. This afternoon we could see similar scenes if Presenting Percy wins the Magners Gold Cup.

Ireland loves to get behind a small owner and Philip Reynolds owns “the people’s horse”, who could win at the Festival for a third straight year.

To add to the intrigue, Presenting Percy has not jumped a fence in public this year. It is a bizarre preparation but it is a brave man to doubt the skills of trainer Pat Kelly. His attention to detail is remarkable and he even turned a few fences around at Galway to practise jumping left-handed.

Kelly is certainly shrouded in mystery and no shortage of controversy. He is unlikely to speak to us on ITV even if he wins, which is a real shame as we continue to try to spread the popularity of the sport. However, the scenes if Percy presents himself first over that winning line will more than make up for that.

Top of my wish list for racing is Bryony winning a Gold Cup and Grand National, and not far behind that is Sir Alex Ferguson adding the sport’s blue riband here, or the big one in Liverpool, to his cabinet of sporting triumphs. Today, Sir Alex’s Clan Des Obeaux has a big chance in the Gold Cup.

Willie Mullins has hit the bar numerous times in jump racing’s best race and throws four at today’s renewal, while defending champion Native River will not give up his title without a fight. It is a really deep and fascinating Gold Cup but I remember Sir Anthony Mccoy grabbing my arm as Presenting Percy passed the post in the RSA last year and saying “that is next year’s Gold Cup winner”. It takes a lot to impress the 20-time champion jockey and, despite the unorthodox preparation, I remain in the Presenting Percy camp.

Elsewhere today, Sir Erec is the Irish banker in the Triumph Hurdle. Joseph O’brien’s Band Of Outlaws ran a big race in the Fred Winter on Wednesday and the trainer reckons Sir Erec is even better. Some might worry because Sir Erec is an entire, but I was speaking to Kevin Blake, O’brien’s race planner, and he says this guy is as cool as Cristiano Ronaldo slotting a penalty away.