Time-honoured festival appetiser a tasty dish in its own right - ask Paul Nicholls, Nigel Twiston-Davies and David Pipe

You have waited 359 days, so staying patient for another 72 hours is not too much to ask. And I promise you excitement as the build-up finally nears its end.

Yes, the Cheltenham Festival is nearly upon us. The meeting which is the Olympics, World Cup and Eurovision Song Contest combined for those of a jump racing bent kicks off on Tuesday.

Aficionados have been counting down the hours and minutes almost since the last horse crossed the line in last year's last race, the aptly named In From The Cold.