One of the most anticipated events at this year’s Cheltenham will be the performance of Constitution Hill, as yet unbeaten his five previous runs under jockey Nico de Boinville.

Last year’s winner of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle goes for trainer Nicky Henderson in this afternoon’s Champion Hurdle.

Henderson, seeking a record-extending ninth win in the Hurdle, tempered expectations for the horse slightly this week, though there is no doubt the six-year-old looks a real talent.

“Constitution Hill is doing freakish things, but he’s only had five runs in his life and you have to remember it is very early days in his career,” Henderson warned.

Irish trainers secured a dominant Pretbury Cup victory in 2022, with their horses taking 18 of the week’s 28 races on a tough four days for British-reared competitors.

And also thanks to Betfair, here are the latest odds for the opening go over the fences, with six-year-old Irish horse Facile Vega the favourite.

Odds for Supreme Novices Hurdle:

Facile Vega 15/8

Marine Nationale 4/1

II Etait Temps 9/2

Inthepocket 8/1

Tahmuras 11/1

Diverge 16/1

High Definition 20/1

Doctor Bravo 22/1

Chasing Fire 28/1

Rare Edition 28/1

Dark Raven 33/1

Strong Leader 40/1

Fennor Cross 70/1

Palace Boy 200/1

And the so-called Queen of Cheltenham has a runner in the Festival’s very first race, with Inthepocket among the contenders for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

“He is a very nice horse, he kept on well to win a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Naas just before Christmas, when he probably wasn’t helped by the omission of the last two flights of hurdles, and he ran a solid race in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival last time to finish second behind Il Etait Temps.

“He is a horse who has a big future, and hopefully he can run well here and get the week off to a good start.”

Rachael Blackmore etched herself further into racing folklore as she added the Cheltenham Gold Cup to 2021’s Grand National in guiding A Plus Tard to a runaway success in chasing’s blue riband event last year.

Not everything had gone right for A Plus Tard in last year’s Gold Cup when finishing runner-up to Henry de Bromhead-trained stablemate Minella Indo and the queen of jump jockeys felt she had unfinished business, having picked the wrong horse.

So it proved, as the 3-1 favourite left the previous winner in his wake following a ride timed to perfection.

The Dublin stout is a popular beverage at the prestigious spring event, with the Diageo brand a prominent partner of the Festival.

For the first time, fans will be able to buy alcohol-free Guinness, including from the first self-serve bar at a racecourse in the United Kingdom.

The 274,000 spectators will be able to purchase pints of the alcoholic version at £7.50, according to The Sun.

St Patrick’s Day this year falls on Gold Cup day, with Friday set to be the most lucrative afternoon for beer-sellers.

Researchers polled 2,000 adults and found half became “equestrian experts” when a big horse racing event took place– although many say this fleeting interest could lead to a year-round love for the sport.

As many as 90 per cent of followers of the big three racing events – Cheltenham, Grand National, and Ascot – will have a flutter, typically placing a stake on six races.

While 26 per cent take their interest to another level by purchasing a copy of the Racing Post in a bid to find an “absolute cert”.

And 31 per cent have arranged social get-togethers so they can enjoy all the highs and lows of race day with family and friends.

Sadly, Cheltenham is also intertwined with tragedy, with the death of horses an all-too-regular occurence over the last 23 years. We hope that all our runners and riders get around safely at this year’s Festival.

A dry and, at times, cold winter has caused plenty of problems during the last couple of months on both sides of the Irish Sea, and there could be more inclement conditions for competitors and spectators alike over the next four days. Wind and rain are forecast to hit Cheltenham, but today’s going could be the best of the week.

We’ve still got a little while before the action gets up and running at Cheltenham, which means there is still plenty of time for a wager or two on the day’s early races.

The Independent has consulted the experts and come up with our top tips for the Festival.