Kauto holds the edge claims jockey who knows both stars

These are the two questions that the entire Cheltenham National Hunt Festival, which culminates with today's totesport Gold Cup, has revolved around.

Fittingly, it will be on steeplechasing's greatest stage – a magnificent natural amphitheatre fit for gladiators – where this clash of the titans will take place.

Going head-to-head are Kauto Star and Denman, the stablemates who, between them, have monopolised the last three Gold Cup renewals. They are, without doubt, the two classiest staying chasers of the past decade.

It just also happens that they are ridden by, arguably, the two greatest jockeys in history – Walsh, who broke Pat Taaffe's all-time Festival record earlier this week, and his great friend McCoy, the Champion Hurdle victor with 3,000 career winners to his credit.

One man is uniquely placed to offer a compelling insight into this 'battle within a battle' – top jockey Sam Thomas, the rider forced to sit out this year's festival after suffering a cracked vertebra in a horrific gallops fall last week.

Apart from the imperious Walsh, he is the only other rider to have ridden these two equine heroes to victories. His 2007 Betfair Chase victory on Kauto Star gave his formative career some invaluable impetus, while Denman provided "the best day" of Thomas's young life when he galloped the 2008 Gold Cup field into submission.

And, as an accomplished big race jockey who is also extremely articulate and personable, he freely admits that he has learned about tactics, and the handling of pressure, from two of the best riders ever.

"AP and Ruby – there's so little between them," the 25-year-old told the Yorkshire Post. "And now you have the two greatest jockeys going head-to-head in a Gold Cup.

"To me, Ruby is the complete horseman. He gets horses settled and into a rhythm. That was one of the keys to Kauto winning the 2007 and 2009 races. However, AP is just superb on lazy horses. He's tailor-made for them because that suits him as a person."

As a young rider who grew up in the Welsh borders, the Cheltenham Gold Cup will always be the pinnacle of steeplechasing to Thomas – the 'blue riband' race for purists.

Thomas admits to being inspired by the exploits of Best Mate, the three-time winner from 2002-04, and how he was nurtured to success by Henrietta Knight, the top trainer who, together with Venetia Williams, gave the aspiring rider a chance to make a name for himself before he became Walsh's deputy at the all-conquering yard of Paul Nicholls in 2006.

Thomas's first ride in this high-profile role was in Wetherby's Charlie Hall Chase that autumn – Neptune Collonges finished a creditable second to the durable Our Vic.

Nicholls was keen to have a talented stable jockey waiting in the wings when the much in-demand Walsh was unavailable or injured.

It has provided this quietly-spoken rider with the best of times, but also some of the most challenging days of his career.

When Walsh was injured in November 2007, Thomas enjoyed a golden period in the limelight – Kauto's Betfair Chase victory, a Hennessy win on Denman and then a Gold Cup on 'The Tank', the nickname given to the liver chestnut by co-owner Harry Findlay whose family hails from Sheffield.

And, while Thomas nursed Denman to a gallant second in last year's Cheltenham renewal after well-chronicled heart problems, he endured a number of high-profile falls when Walsh was recovering from a ruptured spleen that prompted many – unwisely – to blame the rider rather than consider whether the horses were, perhaps, running below par.

Nevertheless, Thomas had still been booked to ride Tricky Trickster, a Grand National favourite and the eventual Aon Chase winner (the race where Denman and McCoy parted company last month) until his hideous fall last week on the Nicholls gallops.

With typical honesty, he believes it would not have been a winning ride if he had been fit.

"I don't think you can beat them," said Thomas when asked about the tactics that he would have deployed against the two heavyweight contenders. "Tricky Trickster would have been a good ride, and a good each-way chance, but it would have been very difficult for him to beat Kauto Star.

"Just look at how he won his fourth King George on Boxing Day. He's as good as ever. I've been privileged to sit, and win, on him. The Betfair Chase at Haydock, I was just so relieved to have won a major race. I can't tell you how satisfying that was – he travels well and his jumping is so accurate.

"The Gold Cup on Denman – that was the best feeling in my life. He was invincible. People say I had no pressure because Ruby had opted to ride Kauto. It wasn't a tough decision for him. You stay loyal to Gold Cup winners, and he did. Denman was in the form of his life. The plan was to be handy and then make a really testing gallop and see if we could win the race from a long way out. And that's what we did – but I took nothing for granted until we'd crossed the line.

"Whether Denman can be that good again, who knows? He likes to grind it out; Kauto has the turn of speed. If there's rain, however, that will help Denman – but I doubt it will be enough."

As such, Thomas firmly believes that Kauto Star will win a third Gold Cup in four attempts – with Denman, Tricky Trickster and Imperial Commander, beaten by the shortest of short heads by the defending champion in last November's Betfair Chase, battling it out for the minor honours.

As to the rider, he is sanguine about missing out on, potentially, the race of the decade. His enforced absence – Thomas is likely to be out of action for six weeks – has given him time to reflect on his career and come to terms with both the highs, and the disappointments, of his career.

"I'm very stiff. The fall wasn't a nice experience but it's an occupational hazard, part of the job," he added. "It was a nasty one – the horse, Woolcombe Folly, took over far too early and had no chance. But it could have been worse. I'm still in one piece, I'm still living the dream and I can't wait for another chance to win the Gold Cup.

"It is the pinnacle, whether this year or next. It's a great race for great horses and great jockeys."

Sam Thomas was speaking in conjunction with his sponsors Markel, the London-based international bloodstock insurers.

A place among the greats of chasing awaits as star prepares for his big duel with great rival Denman

Kauto Star will rank alongside chasing's immortals if he wins a third Gold Cup today.

Golden Miller (1935)

Golden Miller's place in jumping legend is secure. He is the only horse to have won five Gold Cups, and he also won the Grand National in one of those years, 1934.

His most famous Cheltenham victory came in 1935 when he just got the better of Thomond after a great battle.

Trained by Basil Briscoe in Longstowe, Cambridgeshire, and owned by the eccentric Dorothy Paget, Golden Miller's reputation remains intact despite the passing of the years and the exploits of contemporary heroes, and it is a given that his terrific Gold Cup record will never be equalled.

Cottage Rake (1949)

Cottage Rake is a Cheltenham legend having bagged three successive Gold Cups between 1948 and 1950. He arrived at Prestbury Park in 1949 as the defending champion for trainer Vincent O'Brien and jockey Aubrey Brabazon and very much bucked the trend as he had a turn of foot from the last fence when many rivals were toiling.

Arkle (1964)

Near-hysteria surrounded the Gold Cup of 1964, with the clash of two of the greatest chasers in history, Arkle and Mill House.

Four runners went to post, but only two mattered, and although both horses were Irish-bred and ridden, it was a classic England versus Ireland tussle that has become synonymous with Cheltenham.

Mill House jockey Willie Robinson made all the early running, but Arkle, the pride of Ireland, was not to be denied.

Battle was joined at the second-last, but Robinson had to go for his whip first, and Arkle started to forge ahead before taking the last in front and bounding away up the hill to land the spoils by five lengths.

A legend was born.

Best Mate (2004)

Best Mate became the first horse in 38 years to win three successive Gold Cups.

His two previous wins may have been more impressive but Henrietta Knight's charge showed plenty of courage as he outbattled three rivals up the hill after appearing boxed in on the turn for home.

Sir Rembrandt pushed him every yard but Best Mate won.