After three days of entertaining races and all round good fun at the Cheltenham Festival, the event is concluded on Cheltenham Gold Cup day with an action packed day of racing.

The Gold Cup itself is of course the highlight on the Friday of the famous festival, but there are six other races to consider when it comes to your betting preparations.

This includes the JCB Triumph Hurdle which begins proceedings on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day. With the doors open from 10.30am, the atmosphere is always fantastic on the final day and will be at boiling point by the point it is time for this Triumph Hurdle.

The race – a grade one event which covers a distance of 2m 1f – has seen its field size reduced in recent years but the 2011 event is set to have 28 competitors, many of which will be high-quality, in-form and well trained horses.

There are many things to look for when checking out the betting odds for this event – the Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle trial on Cheltenham trials day is a good indicator in terms of the flavour of the race for example – but one thing for sure is that this is a race with one of the most active betting markets across the whole festival.

Last year, Paul Nicholls trained Zarkandar was the winner, while the favourite to emerge victorious in 2012 is Hinterland, available at around 8/1 with most bookies.

There are several other serious contenders though, including Minsk at 11/1, Urbain De Sivola at 12/1 and Dildar at 16/1. In all honesty though, the winner could come from anywhere. The likes of Schism – available at 25/1 – cannot be ruled out for example.

There is of course still time for possible winners to emerge as well. Many juvenile hurdlers come to people’s attention during the few months leading up to the festival and this has to be taken into consideration, as does the most in-form horses at the time.

Overall, the JCB Triumph Hurdle it is an energetic and entertaining opening to Cheltenham Gold Cup Day and is set to get underway at 1.30pm on Friday 16th March 2012.

Held up on this occasion rather than making it when appearing to run too freely when easily beaten by Carlito Brigante at Leopardstown, I did feel he benefited from an overly-strong pace up front but he did look classy, as he should being rated 109 on the Flat which makes him by far the best Flat horse in this season’s Triumph Hurdle.

Me Voici was the top rated juvenile in training rated 140 before winning the Victor Ludorum Hurdle at the weekend but whether he runs will depend on the ground.

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Originally ruled out of the Triumph after winning the Grade 1 at Chepstow on Welsh National day, there had been rumblings he may turn up at Cheltenham but connections argued after his easy Haydock win that he is still a big weak horse with a high knee action so is it a sensible thing to muck him up on faster ground for one race when he has his whole future in front of him?

It would have be soft ground for them to even consider a crack and that hasn’t been the case on the final day at the Festival for a long time.

Olofi has been confirmed for this race rather than the Fred Winter which strikes me as bonkers as he is plainly not ready for the Triumph at this stage of his career.

According blew out big style on his hurdling debut at Sandown having been punted into second-favourite for the Triumph which totally bemused Nicky Henderson who stated after his grey ran as green as grass that he was one of a few juveniles they had to come out in the coming weeks but he certainly didn’t give the impression he felt he was unquestionably their best.

Also well beaten in that race was Prince Pippin who is now the third horse from Advisor’s race at Ascot to run below expectations next time out so that look form is looking very dodgy for Paul Nicholls’ charge.

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Both Irish winners at the weekend, Carlito Brigante and Pittoni advanced their claims and the former won the Scottish Triumph Hurdle at Musselburgh with some panache. It was a convincing performance from Gordon Elliott’s charge as the runner-up, Ultimate, looks a real speed track specialist but was comfortably brushed aside with the race surely coming too soon for last week’s Finesse Hurdle winner, Baccalaureate.

Pittoni also took the eye winning what is traditionally Ireland’s best guide to the Triumph Hurdle but their shortest three in the betting for Cheltenham at the time bypassed the race so it looked weaker than usual but the winner put the race to bed very nicely.

The four-year-old hurdling championship, staged over two miles and a furlong, is always a thrilling spectacle and has attracted 77 entries, headed by the Alan King-trained Mille Chief. King has twice tasted victory in the Grade One contest with Penzance (2005) and subsequent Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle hero Katchit (2007), while Franchoek (2008) and Walkon (2009) both finished second for the trainer.

Mille Chief has won his last two starts in fine style, seeing off the Charles Egertontrained Westlin’ Winds at Kempton in December and then easily landing the spoils at  Huntingdon last month. King’s quartet of entries also includes Peter Grimes.

Nicky Henderson has four JCB Triumph Hurdle wins to his name, including last year when Zaynar scored. He has seven horses engaged, all of whom are yet to jump a hurdle in

public, including According, a smart Flat recruit from France. Advisor followed an easy win at Newbury in December with a defeat of the Warren Greatrex-trained Barwell Bridge and the gelding, owned by the Royal Ascot Racing Club, is one of seven Paul Nicholls-trained entries.

The British champion trainer’s entry also includes Sang Bleu, Royal Mix and Pistolet Noir, a big money purchase out of Nick Williams’ yard after defeating Barizan in the Grade Two Prestbury Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at The Open. Pistolet Noir was subsequently runner-up to the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Baccalaureate in the Grade Two Betfair Finesse Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle over the course and distance on Festival Trials Day. Royal Mix defeated the Nick Williams-trained Me Voici

at Newbury in November but the latter slammed Sang Bleu to win the Grade One Coral Future Champions Finale Hurdle at Chepstow the following month. David Pipe has entered Notus De La Tour and Hunterview, while John Quinn has engaged Doncaster winner Blue Nymph, Tom George could run Olofi, successful over the course and distance in December and Brian Ellison has entered the smart Bothy.

The Howard Johnson-trained Ascendant was an easy winner at Musselburgh on hishurdles bow, while the Gary Moore-trained Orzare saw off Hunterview at Newbury inDecember and the James Ewart-trained Premier Grand Cru won over hurdles at Pau that same month. The last Irish-trained winner of the JCB Triumph Hurdle was the Willie Mullins-trained Scolardy (2002).

Of the 21 Irish entries, Mullins has the easy Gowran winner Secant Star, Final Approach and Doctor Deejay, who was runner-up to the Charles Byrnes-trained Pittoni in a Punchestown Grade Three last month.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Carlito Brigante landed a Leopardstown Grade Two in December from the Edward O’Grady-trained Alaivan, with the Noel Meade-trained Cross Appeal in fourth. O’Grady won the JCB Triumph Hurdle in 1984 with Northern Game.

Henry de Bromhead has entered the smart Flat recruit Gallilei, while Point Of Light, a prolific winner on the level, is one of two Paul Nolan-trained entries alongside Thurles victor Politeo. Shanrod won his only hurdles start at Navan in November for Mick Halford, while Sounds Of Jupiter scored at Limerick in January for the Byrnes stable.