The two-mile hurdling championship is the highlight on day one of The Festival™ presented by Magners and has a total prize fund of at least £450,000.

Epatante, the 3/1 market leader with Unibet, started her campaign with a smooth success in a limited handicap hurdle at Newbury in November and followed that up with an impressive victory in the G1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

Her trainer Nicky Henderson is the most successful handler in Unibet Champion Hurdle history with seven wins, while her owner J P McManus has won the race a record eight times.

If successful on 10 March, Epatante would become the fifth mare to claim Unibet Champion Hurdle honours, after Annie Power (2016), Flakey Dove (1994), Dawn Run (1984) and African Sister (1939).

Henderson's quintet of entries also features another G1-winning mare in Verdana Blue, Pentland Hills, the winner of last season's G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival, and G2 Unibet International Hurdle victor Call Me Lord.

Silver Streak finished third in the 2019 Unibet Champion Hurdle and has continued in fine form this season.

After readily landing a Listed hurdle at Kempton Park in October, the seven-year-old finished third behind Cornerstone Lad (Micky Hammond) in the G1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on 30 November and then chased home Epatante at Kempton Park, when the five-length runner-up.

Trainer Evan Williams said: "Silver Streak is in good order and the Unibet Champion Hurdle is the target. "It is likely that he will go straight there, though the Kingwell at Wincanton [15 February] is a possibility beforehand. "He ran really well in the Christmas Hurdle and keeps running with credit in these big two-mile hurdles. "With a bit of luck, hopefully he could be placed in the Champion Hurdle again."

Willie Mullins, who has captured the Unibet Champion Hurdle four times since 2011, accounts for four of the 16 Irish-trained contenders.

His team includes the Susannah Ricci-owned pair of Saldier and Sharjah, who have both landed G1 contests in Ireland this season, plus the 2019 G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle victor Klassical Dream.

There are four novices among the entries, with two of them hailing from the stable of Gordon Elliott - G1 Sky Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite Abacadabras and last year's G1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero Envoi Allen.

Royal Gait in 1992 is the most recent novice to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle. Ireland's hand is strengthened further by unbeaten mare Honeysuckle (Henry de Bromhead), who secured the second G1 of her career in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on her latest start in December.

Other unexposed entries include progressive handicapper Not So Sleepy (Hughie Morrison), who bolted up in the G3 Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot in December, and recent Sandown Park runner-up Eldorado Allen (Colin Tizzard).

Unibet Champion Hurdle - Unibet prices:

3/1 Epatante

7/1 Saldier

8/1 Pentland Hills

9/1 Sharjah

10/1 Honeysuckle, Klassical Dream

12/1 Envoi Allen

16/1 Call Me Lord

25/1 Abacadabras, Coeur Sublime, Fusil Raffles, Not So Sleepy, Silver Streak

33/1 Thomas Darby, Verdana Blue

40/1 Apple's Jade, Ballyandy, Cornerstone Lad, Darasso, Petit Mouchoir

50/1 Eldorado Allen, Samcro

66/1 Felix Desjy, Quick Grabim, Thebannerkingrebel

100/1 Aramon, Darver Star, Elgin, Gumball, Le Patriote, Mengli Khan, Monsieur Lecoq, Pacify, Mohaayed, Nelson River

Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse is situated in Prestbury on the northern outskirts of the historic spa town of Cheltenham. The Home of Jump Racing, Cheltenham Racecourse is the venue for the world's pre-eminent Jump meeting. The Festival™ presented by Magners, which happens in March over four days every year, next takes place from Tuesday, 10 March, to Friday, 13 March, 2020 inclusive and tickets are on sale. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham Racecourse is a stunning natural arena and offers the highest-quality action throughout the Jump season.