As usual we have the maximum 22 runners for the race known and still registered as the Fred Winter.

The juvenile hurdlers take on eight flights across the Champion Hurdle route of two miles and half a furlong on the Old Course, with a mere £45,000 going to the winner.

The prize money may not be extraordinary, but there are millions in betting capital being used up by punters in what is a frightfully competitive event.

Naturally it’s hard to judge the four-year-olds. Each of the main contenders is fully expected by connections to reach new career highs on the day, so predicting exact levels of ability is difficult.

What we’ve done is look at all of their debut’s and second outings along with their progression rate and attempted to second-guess what sort of level they can reach.

We also sook into account the speed each runner has shown thus far, as a turn of foot will definitely be needed. After taking away the lowest rated runners, we’re left with these six contenders: 

Main Contenders

Eagle Fang 

County Dublin’s William Durkan won’t be a name many will recognise among the Cheltenham trainers this week, but hopes will be high for the yard’s Eagle Fang.

Having had five hurdle runs he has had more experience than many of his opposition on Tuesday, but he is improving just as quickly it would seem and he looks very good value to grab some prize money.

Latin Verse

Latin Verse represents another under-sung yard in that of Syd Hosie. Their runner is a real eyecatcher too, coming away with form figures of 231521 from six hurdle starts.

By our reckoning he has improved around 25lbs since making his debut over hurdles back in October, the biggest jump in his form coming last time out in February when winning easily at Ludlow.

True, he hasn’t faced the best of opposition yet, but he looks very well handicapped to us. Harry Reed takes the ride.

Liari 

One for Paul Nicholls here, an unbeaten gelding who has won at Wincanton, Aintree and Musselburgh.

Since arriving from France this horse has done nothing but stretch out and get better. Mind you, that’s the case with many in this field but when a horse is unbeaten it’s hard to say what it will take to stop them.

Liari is a single-figure price going into Tuesday and Harry Cobden is on board. Chances.

Milan Tino 

Challenging for favouritism is a JP McManus-owned runner, Milan Tino.

Trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm over in France, this is a slightly unusual entrant who hasn’t won yet in four attempts over hurdles.

That doesn’t read like favourite material, though he has been third in Grade 2’s at Auteuil and Cheltenham in the recent past. Despite being dragged along pretty much to his limits, it still may be that he’s well handicapped.

Miss Manzor 

It was no surprise to see each-way money coming in on Monday for Miss Manzor, a filly trained by Willie Mullins.

Now two from three over hurdles, she was very good last time out at Fairyhouse and it would seem at a glance that a handicap mark of 130 could just underestimate her. She is, at the very least, a lively outsider for a place under Danny Mullins.

Ndaawi 

It would be no surprise to see some real money come in for Ndaawi by the time we reach 4.45 or so on Tuesday afternoon.

Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy team up this time with a classic type for a race of this nature; a horse which has raced just three times over hurdles, won easily in the build-up to this race and has been given a handicap mark most think is beneath him.

All of that by the way may be true, however there will be more rough and tumble in this race than last time, he’s not the only one well treated at the weights and his price is a little skinny.

Summary

A number of these have been well backed during the week. For us, Gordon Elliott’s Ndaawi is about as solid a proposition as you get in these tricky races full of youngsters, but the price isn’t the best.

At a similar level is LATIN VERSE, one looking to give Syd Hosie a very famous Cheltenham Festival win. Though backed in from around 25/1, prices of 14/1 are still available at the time of writing and, with six places being offered, that is a very fair each-way price and it’s backing him that way we recommend.