it is galopin des champs galloping his way to gold cup glory. ory. he was 'ust so cool in behind all i to gold cup glory. he was 'ust so cool in behind all the i to gold cup glory. he wasjust so cool in behind all the time, i to gold cup glory. he wasjust so cool in behind all the time, let i to gold cup glory. he wasjust so | cool in behind all the time, let the race unfold and he just pulled out when he thought he needed to pull out and the horse answered his call for psion winners at cheltenham are brilliant but the gold cup has an extra spice about it. a bit of pressure on this lad coming in as well everyone talking about him and things. it didn't go smoothly early but he dug very deep to win today. it is being hailed as one of the best gold cups ever and yet another mullins win in a golden age for irish horse racing. lizzie greenwood—hughes, bbc news, cheltenham. time for a look at the weather. here's ben rich. because it is friday i'm going to start with some good news, a sign of spring. because wherever you are across the uk the sun will n

galopin des champs. _ left there. we will move on. galopin des champs, such _ left there. more's trainer, of course. plus tard is a huge danger. henry because my courses have been in incredible form this week. as big a chance as galopin des champs as, a plus tard has a chance.— plus tard has a chance. then race named after— plus tard has a chance. then race named after henry _ plus tard has a chance. then race named after henry because - plus tard has a chance. then race named after henry because my i plus tard has a chance. then racel named after henry because my son yesterday. everybody would love it if he won the big race.— if he won the big race. yeah, it would be _ if he won the big race. yeah, it would be special _ if he won the big race. yeah, it would be special for _ if he won the big race. yeah, it would be special for them. - if he won the big race. yeah, it - would be special for them. they're would be specialfor them. they're wonderful people. henry and heather, the strength they both have this week, it has absolutely amazing. they have been an inspiration to o

galopin des champs won the gold cup. lizzie greenwood—hughes reports.isis with ticket for gold day selling out in the fastest time ever. this is the start of a potentially historic weekend for the irish. and on st patrick's day at the cheltenham festival, where's a better place to get the celebrations under way? come on the irish, come on their green boy, come on! i like england in dublin tomorrow! we will have to see about the rugby. come the big race it look like the english it game had all the lot. hot favourite galopin des champs made his move over the last fence and galloped his way to victory, completing a hat trick of gold the irish the black trainer. he was just so cool in behind all the time that the race unfold and he just pulled out when he thought he needed to pull out and the horse answered his call. winners in cheltenham were brilliant but the gold cup has a exercise about it. a little pressure coming of everyone talking. didn't go smoothly early. he dug very deep to win today. well it is being hailed as one of the best gold cups ever and

galopin des champs won the gold cup. lizzie greenwood—hughes reports.s loud, always proud to be the home of racing. this year cheltenham has defied the cost—of—living crisis with ticket for gold day selling out in the fastest time ever. this is the start of a potentially historic weekend for the irish. and on st. patrick's day at the cheltenham festival, where a better place to get the celebrations under way? flame get the celebrations under way? come on the irish, — get the celebrations under way? come on the irish, come _ get the celebrations under way? come on the irish, come on _ get the celebrations under way? come on the irish, come on their _ get the celebrations under way? (rnr on the irish, come on their green boy, come on! i like england in dublin tomorrow! we boy, come on! i like england in dublin tomorrow!— boy, come on! i like england in dublin tomorrow! ~ ., ., , dublin tomorrow! we will have to see about the rugby- _ dublin tomorrow! we will have to see about the rugby. come _ dublin tomorrow! we will have to see about the rugby. come the

there are plenty of stories on gold cup day, the favourite is an irish trained horse called galopin des champsps means field scamp and he has a very real chance, he is the favourite and it would be mullin's third gold cup victory, the best story of the week is a horse called hue wick, —— hewick. if he were to win it would make him the cheapest horse in recent history to win a gold cup but he will be hampered by the ground because it has been raining, there are storms forecast today, but that rain will not bother the grand national winner noble yates, he willjoin a very elite group if he were able to do the double and he does have a very real chance. now there is also a real chance. now there is also a real prospect of a first ever scottish trained winner, that would be ahoy senior trained by lucinda russell. that relieved a plus tard. ridden by rachael blackmore who made history last year when she became the first female to win the gold cup. and of course i haven't mentioned sir alex ferguson who had the horse that came third last year, protectorate. it goes at 3.30, the best of the best will

cheltenham's gold cup goes to galopin des champs and willie mullins. again.be just the first reason for ireland to celebrate this weekend? with a grand slam on home soil the prize for a win over england and who won the draw? the champions league lays out its fascinating final eight with manchester city and chelsea picked out in plum ties hello again. he was the favourite and perhaps not just with the bookies. on st patrick's day, the huge irish contingent celebrated a gold cup winner at cheltenham. galopin des champs gave trainer willie mullins his third winner in just five years and his 94th overall the festival. lizzie greenwood—hughes is there for us. lizzie. is there for us. it was a close rates right up lizzie. it was a close rates right up until the final fence. it really was. it up until the final fence. it really was- it was _ up until the final fence. it really was. it was such _ up until the final fence. it really was. it was such a _ up until the final fence. it really was. it was such a cute - up until the final fence. it really was. it was such a

the favourite, galopin des champs, won the gold cup in a dramatic race. and conflated after the final fence. and ireland's success is predicted to continue tomorrow as rugby union's six nations tournament concludes in dublin. the irish are firm favourites to beat england to complete the grand slam. our sport correspondent andy swiss reports from dublin. st patrick's day in dublin, when a city turns into a street party, but they will be hoping the celebrations here have onlyjust begun because tomorrow, rugby could mean more revelry and victory over england and a grand slam will be ireland's to toast. cheers! how confident are you about the grand slam tomorrow? very confident. extremely. england are rubbish, man! very confident. ireland will play impeccably. how big is the buzz in dublin for tomorrow? oh, my god, it's going to be a weekend to remember, a weekend to remember. i'll have the best weekend of my life, please god. and who can blame their belief? ireland have been untouchable so far this six nations. four wins out of four, and in thrilling style.

but the main highlight of the last four days saw the willie mullins trained galopin des champs, claimd cup, he and jockey paul townend rode him clear of bravemansgame to win by seven lengths. it's the third time in five years that townend and mullins have won the gold cup. joy for the irish on st patrick's day ididn't i didn't realise how much pressure i put myself under until he came to the part and still had a bit to go and we were on the third or fourth position. it's when you cross the line, the really was absolutely there. it was, just, i couldn't get over it. i was amazed at how much pressure i put myself under and you got me out of trouble. lots more cheltenham reaction on the bbc sport website and al the details of those european draws didn't mention the europe conference league, west ham will face belgians gent and that's all the sport for now. our top story... the international criminal court has issued an arrest warrant for president vladimir putin — and the head of the russian children's commission — for alleged war crimes in ukraine. they are accused of forcibly deporting

the race has just got under way — galopin des champs was the pre—race favourite, while rachel blackmoreourfinishers in the triumph hurdle. but in the group one novices hurdle there was a surprise win for the 18—1 shot stay away fay, ridden by harry cobden and trained in somerset by paul nicholls. we'll try to bring you the gold cup winner before we go chelsea boss graham potter says he is �*excited' by the prospect of facing holders and record 14 time winners real madrid in the quarter finals of the champions league. it's the third successive season they've met in the competition. chelsea beat real in the semi's on their way to winnin the trophy in the 2021 season, before losing 5—4 on aggregate last season in the quarters. manchester city meanwhile have drawn bayern munich — a reunion with his former club then for boss pep guardiola. city have never won the champions league before, while bayern have won it six times. they've not met competively since 2014, when gurdiola was in charge of the german club. tough routes for both premier league teams. michael brown has been speaking on the

willie mullins said he was struggling to take in his success after galopin des champs gave him a thirdinished the festival as top trainer with six victories. very special because a lot of people doubted his stamina and i kept on saying all year that this fellow could go the distance so i didn't realise how much pressure i put myself under until he came to the 3—mile partand myself under until he came to the 3—mile part and the other two furlong primer, it was still running in third orfourth position, so when you cross the line the really was absolutely immense. warrington continued their perfect start to the super league season, beating leigh for a fifth straight win. whilst defending champions st helens returned to winning ways with a 2012 win against hull fc, jon bennison with two tries. they had lost their previous two matches. max verstappen was quickest in practice ahead of sunday's saudi arabian grand prix. he posted the fastest time in both sessions in his red bull. the reigning world champion, who won the first race of the season in bahrain, was two—tenths quicker than aston ma