The International meeting, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, is one of the most significant meetings at Cheltenham outside the Festival. Feature events include the International Hurdle, a major trial for the Champion Hurdle and the intended target of the unbeaten novice Cue Card, and the December Gold Cup, which this year will now be called the Vote AP Gold Cup, to support AP McCoy's bid to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The Grade One Tingle Creek Chase, re-routed from this weekend's abandoned meeting at Sandown, is also due to be added to the card at Cheltenham next Saturday.
The £150,000 Vote AP Gold Cup is the real punting conundrum, coming hot the heels of the Paddy Power Gold Cup and set to attract a number of the same horses.
It will certainly be the target for the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Little Josh. Sent off at 20/1 for the Paddy Power, the eight-year-old ran out a famous winner under the trainer's 18-year-old son Sam, a rising star if ever there was one.
It was another proud day at Cheltenham for the red-hot Twiston-Davies team, one they followed up when Sam steered the stable's Hello Bud to glory over the daunting National fences at Aintree just seven days later.
One word of caution, however - only three horses have done the double in the same season, the last being Exotic Dancer in 2006.
Sharing top billing at Prestbury Park is a fascinating Stan James International Hurdle, still better known as the 'Bula'. Last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle Menorah was rubber-stamped for this as soon as he defied a big weight in the Greatwood Hurdle on his return.
But adding significant spice to the mix is Colin Tizzard's bold plan to run Cue Card.
Quite possibly the next big thing, the four-year-old was sensational in wining the Champion Bumper in March as a 40/1 chance, and has taken to hurdles with the minimum of fuss, winning two from two without coming near to being extended.
But even with all that in mind, he is stepping into a different league here. If he can do it he will blow an already-exciting Champion Hurdle picture well and truly wide open after Binocular's recent Newbury eclipse while a late addition to the programme is the Tingle Creek Chase, switched after Sandown was abandoned.
With the Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on the undercard on Saturday and some pretty classy races on Friday too (with a Listed event worth £40,000 in added prize-money the main feature) the Cheltenham Festival betting picture should become a lot clearer.
Cue Card, winner of the Cheltenham Collection Sharp Novices Hurdle at The Open meeting last month, faces a bigger task next weekend
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