Bentelimar booked for Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival

Sky Bet's 'Road to Cheltenham' series reaches its thrilling climax next week with the £120,000 Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

There have been six trials staged, sponsored by Sky Bet, for the extended two-mile contest during the course of the season, with Nicky Henderson taking the spoils on three occasions.

The Lambourn handler captured the first two races of the series with Vyta Du Roc (Cheltenham, November 16) and L'Ami Serge (Ascot, December 19). Vyta Du Roc is set to step up in trip at Cheltenham, but L'Ami Serge is the 4/1 second favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle following a 14-length victory in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown Park on January 3.

Henderson said: "L'Ami Serge has done everything right. I did not think he was very well handicapped when we started him off in the Gerry Feilden (Newbury, November 27, won by six lengths), but it turns out he was absolutely thrown in!

"You would like him to win at the Festival because that will get the whole meeting off to a good start. It is good to get one on the board because it takes the pressure off, but Willie Mullins' horse sounds pretty good.

"We think better ground will help L'Ami Serge. I know he came from France but he is by King's Theatre and most of them want better ground. I don't think it will do him any harm and he is not short on pace. I asked Barry (Geraghty) the other day if he wanted to switch to two and a half but he said no."

Henderson also sent out Days Of Heaven to land the Grade Two Sky Bet Dovecote Novices' Hurdle at Kempton Park on February 21, but the five-year-old does not hold an entry at Cheltenham.

Ireland's champion trainer Willie Mullins accounts for 12 of the 45 remaining entries in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdles, headed by the sponsor's 7/4 favourite Douvan.

The five-year-old beat subsequent Grade One winner Sizing John (Henry De Bromhead) by 12 lengths at Gowran Park in November and was unextended to win the Grade Two sportinglife.com Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle by three and three quarter lengths at Punchestown on January 10.

Mullins said: "Douvan looks the part. He does everything so naturally at home and on the racecourse when we have run him, so fingers crossed he can do it in Cheltenham as well.

"I think the track will suit and coming up that hill is what he wants. His jumping is good enough and Ruby (Walsh) is very happy with him."

Mullins is also responsible for 10/1 chance Nichols Canyon, a dual Grade One winner this season and Shaneshill (12/1), who was runner-up in the 2014 Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Shay Barry is hopeful that Bentelimar can make his presence felt in the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival.

Formerly trained by Philip Fenton, the son of Beneficial has five wins to his name, recording his biggest success to date in a Listed novice hurdle at Punchestown last month.

The James Ryan-owned chestnut holds entries in four races at the Festival, but Barry confirmed the Supreme is the target.

"He is 99 per cent sure to go for the Sky Bet Supreme. The owner is keen to go for it and that's what he'll go for. He is in the Neptune and two handicaps as well, but they are just as a precaution," Barry said.

"He is in super form and he galloped after racing at Leopardstown on Saturday. Fingers crossed now that he will travel to Cheltenham in good order.

"He will be my first runner at Cheltenham and it is great to be going with a chance. Brian O'Connell will ride him."

Aso (Venetia Williams, 66/1 with Sky Bet) annexed the Haydock Park trial on January 17, but finished down the field in the Betfair Hurdle next time out, while Some Plan (Tom George, 33/1) took the Musselburgh trial by nine lengths on February 1.

J P McManus has supplied the runner-up in three of the last five Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdles and has two leading contenders this time around.

The champion owner is likely to be represented by Jollyallan (Harry Fry, 8/1), who has won on three of his four starts over hurdles, and exciting French import  Alvisio Ville (Willie Mullins, 14/1), who took a two-mile Leopardstown maiden hurdle by five and a half lengths over Christmas and returned to the same course when third in the Grade One Deloitte Novice Hurdle on February 8.

Michael Shinners, Racing PR Manager at Sky Bet, said: "The Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle looks a fantastic race this year with the Willie Mullins-trained Douvan heading the market after two scintillating performances in Ireland. 

"His main challenger appears to be L'Ami Serge, although there are a number of horses lurking further down the betting who are open to plenty of improvement."