As the Cheltenham festival approaches, the ground has been officially deemed soft due to 7mm of rainfall at the venue over the past 24 hours.

Honeysuckle is generating a lot of interest as she aims to finish her impressive career with a win in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle. The dual champion hurdler trained by Henry de Bromhead has shortened in price to 5/2 (previously 7/2) for the 4.10pm race, making her a top pick among bettors. However, last year’s winner Marie’s Rock is also highly regarded and is generally priced at 11/4.

Facile Vega is a solid favorite to win the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and although some bookmakers still offer odds of 2/1, he is generally considered a 15/8 shot.