Changing the face of training for the modern-day festival

In the covered ride at Seven Barrows, a frolicsome youngster with "a bit of a mental block every now and then" does his level best to run into the back of the diminutive JLT Novices' Chase contender Top Notch, but fails.

"Every day you survive intact is a good day," sighs Henderson, who has seen it all before and by now possesses the sangfroid not to overreact to every minor incident and close shave.

"You try not to do anything different in the lead-up, no matter how tempted you are, and while things can jump out at you along the way, you've had a pretty good idea since Christmas where the A-team is and you’re in Cheltenham mode from then on, planning what route you're going to take there.