El Fabiolo the Champion Hurdle dark horse? It's actually his 33-1 stablemate - even if he is a moody so-and-so

Do you remember the 1941 Champion Hurdle? Yes, Brough, I knew you would. It was run on a Wednesday because of World War II and it went the way of 7-1 shot Seneca, who saw off 33-1 outsider Anarchist by a head with Ephorus a further two lengths back in third. 

It was the first of four Champion Hurdles in eight years for trainer Vic Smyth and the most remarkable thing about it was that Seneca was having only his second start over hurdles. Even Alderbrook had two goes before he won it. 

Another remarkable thing about the 1941 Champion Hurdle was that it had only six runners. In the 84 years that have followed there have been at least seven or more, including a 24-runner field in 1964 and again in 1991. Indeed, when Punjabi gave Barry Geraghty the first of his record-equalling four wins in the race just 17 years ago, there was a massive field of 23. Imagine that.