For significantly on the period, two horses have dominated all speak concerning the traditional Festival curtain raiser.

The very first, Cue Card, was successful at last seasons' Festival, trouncing a leading class subject when sauntering away using the Champion bumper.

A few remarkable appearances more than hurdles because had people today speaking about a possible crack in the Champion Hurdle, but defeat in the International at Cheltenham last time out seems to possess created up connections mind to target this race instead. Not that it had been a bad hard work for a novice to become beaten into 2nd by Champion Hurdle contender Menorah, using the extremely decent Silviniaco Conti and Clerks Option in behind him. It truly is also really worth bearing in thoughts that he had also had an interrupted preparing for that race because of the bad climate.

He is a deserved, if really short priced, favorite.

The opposite speaking horse may be Zaidpour, who was nearly disputing favouritism with Cue Card right after he won his second consecutive race over hurdles at Fairyhouse in December without having coming off the bridle. On the other hand, he has been beaten two times considering that, albeit that there might have already been excuses for each defeats, and his cost has lengthened accordingly.

The very first reverse came only two weeks immediately after his Fairyhouse win and with hindsight, his trainer, Willie Mullins, doesnt feel that he was provided enough time involving races, while on his final start, within the Deloitte Hurdle, he defeat all the best young hurdlers in Ireland bar Oscars Well, in spite of jumping sketchily throughout.

He may show greater more than further in time, but, equally, encountering better ground for the very first time right here may see him back towards the form that marked him out as this sort of an thrilling prospect previously inside the season.

First Lieutenant beat Zaidpour in the Long term Champion Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown in the finish of December, and seems an actual horse to comply with as he'll jump a fence in time. However, he holds entries in the Neptune as well as the Albert Bartlett, so does not appear an ante publish wager at this stage.

Shot From the Hip and Hidden Universe had been third and fourth behind Zaidpour within the Deloitte and both also completed well behind Cue Card inside the Festival Bumper.

Concealed Universe would have hated the ground last time out, but even on the sounder surface almost certainly needs to boost his sport to be aggressive here.

Shot From the Hip went off favourite for the Festival Bumper but ruined his probabilities by pulling way to tough. He's studying to settle now, but could be extra efficient over further.

Willie Mullins' Day Of the Lifetime also flopped in the Festival Bumper once the preliminaries appeared to obtain to him. He has only had three career begins thus far, but has generally been highly regarded and could be a bit of a dark horse right here.

Ex French horse So Young is an additional Mullins horse to take into account. He has won his two starts over hurdles really easily and even though he hasn't beaten a lot, the manner in the wins has long been extremely taking and hes shown a real flip off foot even on major floor.

Returning to final seasons' Festival Bumper gives even far more clues as far as this race is worried as two other runners from that contest are really worth a point out.

Al Ferof would have already been an amazing winner last March had been it not for Cue Card, and 8 lengths separated him in 2nd from your 3rd.

It took him till his third commence this period to get off the mark more than hurdles, but he was unlucky on his debut more than obstacles as he looked to have the race won when crashing out in the 2nd last.

He has had two confidence boosting victories since and despite the fact that he'll stay additional than two miles, he could prove challenging to peg again if adopting his usual front running ways right here.

Megastar was fifth inside the Bumper, and has disappointed somewhat more than hurdles up to now, but a quick operate race on decent floor may well see him operate right into a location right here at a big cost as he is without doubt proficient.

No secure in Britain or Ireland has more thrilling younger horses than Nicky Henderson along with a couple of these could line up right here.

Spirit Son is 3 from three more than hurdles. His initial good results arrived in France and because then he has not arrive off the bridle such as when winning a good race at Exeter final time. All his kind to date has appear on soft floor, but his connections think he'll be even far better on a sound floor.

Sprinter Sacre has currently gone into a lot of notebooks as being a feasible Arkle winner subsequent period and while his future undoubtedly lies more than fences he can do some real harm more than hurdles in the meantime.

He was an outstanding winner of a bumper at the Ayr Scottish National meeting and, like his stable companion Spirit Son has had small difficulty in preserving a hundred per cent document more than hurdles this marketing campaign.

It is hard to know how superior the Henderson pair are and it'll be intriguing to determine which one secure jockey Barry Geraghty opts to experience.

Recession Evidence is the other one to contemplate immediately after his excellent win inside the totesport Trophy final time out. He jumped beautifully that day, specifically for any novice, and if can repeat that show of hurdling here it is going to give him a major advantage more than many of his much less battle hardened rivals. He was respectable around the flat, so has a lot of speed also and Get Me Out of Here was 2nd inside the large Newbury handicap prior to finishing runner up here final year.