'You press a button and he goes - he's exactly what every trainer wants'

If one man is in a position to stand up against another Irish onslaught at the Cheltenham Festival it is Nicky Henderson, who has a heavyweight favourite for a Grand Slam event in Shishkin, the market leader for the Champion Chase.

Epatante, Champ and Chantry House are in the mix for the Champion Hurdle, Stayers' Hurdle and Gold Cup and, while some might need a leap of faith to see them as winners, there is weight to Henderson's words when he speaks of his optimism and their wellbeing.

The future's bright too, extremely bright, as Jonbon and Constitution Hill are firmly in the could-be-anything bracket and both set for a mouthwatering Supreme.