Keith Melrose sets Newcastle against Cheltenham to assess the Fighting Fifth

Odds-on favourites in big races are racing's celestial bodies. Their pull is invisible and immutable. Far from being poor betting heats, major events with odds-on shots tend to do brisk business and are no stranger to bookmakers' end-of-year top races for turnover.

It needs to be stressed that this only applies to big races, not the everyday fare that often does prove to be a little flat in terms of turnover. A major part of the reason behind that is familiarity.

Everyone with an interest in jump racing would have had an opinion on dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D'Air, for instance, before he ran in last year's Fighting Fifth. Many of us decided there was little point taking him on at 2-13 – more fool us, as it turned out.