The 2020 Cheltenham Festival is fast approaching, so that means interest and excitement in the biggest UK jumps horse racing meeting is intensifying.
There are 28 races spread across four days from March 10 to 13, so picking the right horse can be tricky because all the action at Cheltenham is so competitive.
In amongst those are the championship races and these are the ones that everybody involved with National Hunt horses wants to win.
While betting on these events usually involves no runner no bet and best odds guaranteed perks by the bookies, it's good to know who the favourites are and why.
Champion Hurdle
Epatante heads the betting on the Champion Hurdle which headlines the opening day of the Festival. Trained by Nicky Henderson for leading Irish owner JP McManus (a legendary gambler himself), this six-year-old mare has made rapid progress this season.
After winning a Listed intermediate handicap during Newbury's Winter Carnival at the end of November, Epatante scored by five lengths at the highest level in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
Her connections are the most successful in Champion Hurdle history. McManus has won it in each of the last three years, combining with Seven Barrows handler Henderson in 2017 and 2018 with Buveur D'Air, who misses Cheltenham this year through injury.
In a wide-open Champion Hurdle, Epatante's 7lb sex allowance gives her every chance of justifying favouritism against the geldings.
Queen Mother Champion Chase
We're set for the most competitive Queen Mother Champion Chase in years on Ladies Day. On paper, this race is billed as a three-horse race between four-time Cheltenham Festival winner and defending champ Altior, and young pretenders Chacun Pour Soi and Defi Du Seuil.
These three are very close together in the betting. A case be made for each, but Henderson's 10-year-old is the horse that turns up and produces at this meeting time and time again.
Defi Du Seuil has also won twice at the Cheltenham Festival and, unlike Altior, comes into the Champion Chase unbeaten this season. Chacun Pour Soi won the Dublin Chase at Leopardstown in real style last time out, so this promises to live up to the hype.
Cheltenham Gold Cup
The blue riband event of the Festival sees last year's winner Al Boum Photo a narrow favourite to retain his title. Trainer Willie Mullins has kept him lightly-raced in the hope of a successful defence.
Al Boum Photo has a host of dangers in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Fellow Irish raider Delta Work has won two Grade 1 races at Leopardstown this season for Gordon Elliott. Henderson, meanwhile, has trained Cotswold Chase scorer Santini with this prize as his long-time career goal.
Betfair Chase winner Lostintranslation (Colin Tizzard), dual King George hero Clan Des Obeaux (Paul Nicolls), Punchestown Gold Cup victor Kemboy and others mean Al Boum Photo has his work cut out for him.
