DAYS like this got me interested in this wonderful sport in the first place, and I'm lucky enough to be working at Cheltenham this weekend - mind you, it's not proper work!

Today's feature is the Paddy Power Gold Cup, and this year's renewal looks wide open, with a host of horses in with a chance, as you'd expect.

The race that Present View won at the Festival in March may well prove a crucial piece of form, with himself and the runner up that day, Attaglance, doing battle again.

For me, Attaglance was unlucky that day, but I feel Present View has a massive future and can go close to giving Jamie Snowdon his biggest win in his short career as a trainer.

Sounding positive, the handler said: "We always thought he would carry a nice racing weight in the Paddy Power.

"It was a fantastic prep run at Cheltenham in a novice hurdle and arguably he should have won but for making a bad mistake at the last and getting beaten a head.

"I'm not scared of any one horse. He's handled the hurly-burly of Cheltenham and proved that he handles the track and the occasion. I wouldn't swap him for anything."

His biggest danger might be Buywise, who was fifth behind Present View at the Festival before signing off his season with an impressive success at Cheltenham's April meeting.

He won easily upon his return over hurdles at Ludlow, leaving trainer Evan Williams wondering whether the seven-year-old is at peak fitness.

Speaking yesterday morning, he said: "He came out of that hurdle run very well and I was just keen on getting a few pieces of fast work into him.

"He loves Cheltenham. The Paddy Power is a race I always wanted to get Buywise to as the track and trip are made for him.

"We want to get through Saturday in one piece and see if he is good enough, and man enough, to compete at that level."

Despite only five going to post in the novices' chase, it's still a cracker as four have already won over fences this season and the one that has not, David Pipe's Kings Palace, was sent off at 5-2 for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Festival in March and is my idea of the winner.

He was beaten when falling at the last and he was down for some time before getting back to his feet.

Because of that experience, connections are just hoping for a clear round and a positive performance before they plan the rest of the season.

Part-owner Harry Drew said: "We don't know what to expect really, after his last run.

"There are only five runners but they are all classy. The other four have had a run and won, but because of that we get 5lb off them all.

"We beat Creepy over hurdles last year quite easily, but over fences it is different. We're just hoping for a nice clear round and while he doesn't need a run, I think he'll naturally improve for it.

"We just hope he comes back safe and it will be nice to put his last run behind us. Apparently his schooling has gone well at home and I've seen a video, he looks very brave at his fences.

"His jumping improved with racing last season and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case again. We wouldn't swap him for any of the others, anyway."

Yesterday, a total of six fences, including four in the home straight, were omitted in the Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase and afterwards, Simon Claisse, Head of Racing South West and Cheltenham's Clerk of the Course, contacted the British Horseracing Authority to inquire about the possibility of moving the Paddy Power Gold Cup to avoid a similar situation.

However, the BHA would not allow the race to be moved as it contravened their general instructions.

"Following this afternoon's novice chase, we contacted the BHA to see if we could move the Paddy Power Gold Cup to avoid any issues with low sun," said Claisse.

"However, it transpired that such a move would not be allowed. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration, such as television, sponsors and other racecourses. The forecast for tomorrow is for a lot more cloud cover, so hopefully we will be okay."

It's not ideal when fences are missed out, but there is not much you can do about it. I'm sure it will still be a top-class day of racing, sun or not.