The opening event on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival usually sees a large field of 2m novice hurdlers charging down the hill and trying to get a positional advantage as they all turn for home and up that long finishing straight. The race is open to 4-year-old novices and many of these have been decent flat horses previously. Katchit famously won this race in 2007 and went on to win a Champion Hurdle the following year.

It may pay to focus on a few trainers in this race as Alan King, Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Philip Hobbs have all won this race twice in the last 10 years.

This race often attracts a maximum field so tactics are crucial, and prominent runners could be at an advantage by keeping out of the carnage further down the field.

Irish trained horses have come to fore in recent times with Our Conor and Tiger Roll winning in 2013 & 2014. Despite a lot of fancied horses winning the Triumph 2015 saw the first winning favourite for sometime when Peace And Co won for Nicky Henderson. The following year Ivanovich Gorbatov also obliged for favourite backers and was the fourth winner for jockey Barry Geraghty.