Whoever wins the 2009 Gold Cup will join a long and illustrious list of previous winners.

The Henrietta Knight-trained Best Mate is the most successful winner of recent times, claiming victory under Jim Culloty in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Popular grey Desert Orchid triumphed in 1989 - just one of many high-profile victories for Dessie, who died aged 27 in 2006.

But arguably the greatest all-time winner is the mighty Arkle, who won three in a row from 1964-66 for jockey Pat Taaffe.