David Pipe and Tom Scudamore can achieve something that eluded their illustrious fathers by winning today's Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Peter Scudamore, eight-times champion jockey, and Martin Pipe, leading trainer on 15 occasions, failed on numerous attempts to land chasing's blue riband event.

Yet, only two years after joining forces, their sons have a serious chance of victory with 10-1 shot Madison Du Berlais.

Scudamore jnr will seek advice and discuss tactics with his experienced father. He explained: "As well as Madison Du Berlais, I also have a strong fancy in the Triumph Hurdle with Master of Arts.

"As a jockey, dad was tactically superb and he has been a great help to me. We always go through everything together. There is never a day goes by when we don't talk."

The prospect of sitting on one of the favourites for the Gold Cup seemed a million miles away at the start of the season.

The youngster added: "We never saw him as a Cup horse in the autumn, but my grandfather, Michael, who won the race on Lendell in 1957, has always been of the opinion that Gold Cup horses just creep up on you. They are rarely the ones you expect them to be when they start out."

Having comprehensively beaten the current champion Denman at Kempton last month, the jockey genuinely believes he can go one better than his father and win National Hunt racing's greatest prize.

"I have great faith in the horse. I will go out believing we can win and ride him accordingly," he said.

"His strengths are his jumping and stamina and I intend to use them to the maximum. If I have to make the running then I will."

And the 24-year-old scotched suggestions that his mount doesn't act around Cheltenham, saying: "The course will be fine. He has improved massively this year and goes into the race with a major chance."