Moore has two representatives this year in Fifty Ball and Royaume Uni. The former is much the shorter price of the duo, but it would be no real surprise if the talented Royaume Uni, who remains a little under the radar, emerged as the number-one contender.

Royaume Uni has threatened to win a big pot for some time, and his last-time-out Kempton third to First Street last month can be marked up as he probably hated the soft ground and wasn’t knocked about by Jamie Moore when his winning chance had gone from the penultimate hurdle.

The trainer said: “I like a horse in a top handicap who carries a low weight, and Royaume Uni only has 10st 2lb. He has a chance – a reasonable chance I would call it.”

Moore added: “Fifty Ball is in great shape with himself. It’s always been the plan to run him in the Betfair Hurdle since we stopped chasing with him before Christmas.

“The ground is a slight concern, but he’s much better off at the weights with Soaring Glory who beat him three lengths in the race last year.”

What they say

Alan King, trainer of Tritonic

Adrian Heskin came to school Tritonic on Monday and was delighted with him. This race has been the target since he won a competitive handicap hurdle at Ascot so well in December. We rolled the dice a little bit bringing him back a week later in a much better race. It just didn’t work, but it didn’t do him any harm as he was dropped 1lb by the handicapper.

Colin Tizzard, trainer of Jpr One

He’s a lovely young horse. This is another step forward, but the fact that he is in the first two in the betting tells you something about him. It’s a huge pot, and novices have a good record in the race. He jumped well on Wednesday morning in his schooling session and goes there in lovely form.

Jonjo O’Neill Jr, rider of Soaring Glory
We’re happy with the way he’s going. It’s definitely a tougher ask than last year with top weight and he doesn’t have the same profile – he was a novice going in last year and nicely handicapped like Broomfield Burg, Jpr One and Knappers Hill this year. He’s stepped up again this season, he won well at Ascot and I thought he ran well in the Christmas Hurdle. I think a return to a strongly run handicap will help him and we’re happy with him but he’s got more on his plate this year.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of First Street and Broomfield Burg
You’d be pushed to split them and they’re of a similar profile in that they’re both in top form and are coming off impressive Kempton wins. They both also want a really truly run race and that’s my biggest worry. The last couple of Betfair Hurdles might not have been that fastly run, when you think it should be a helter-skelter pace. The field is a bit short, so therefore it is a concern and I want a flat-out gallop for them.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Knappers Hill
He’s a novice like quite a few of them this year, so he’s inexperienced but he ran well at Ascot last time. It was a bit of a muddling race, they went no gallop and it turned into a sprint which didn’t really suit him but he ran well and the form’s worked out. It’s a tough-looking race but I’d like to think he’s nicely handicapped. He’s got to overcome some inexperience but I’m very happy with him.

Harry Fry, trainer of Boothill
He’s going back over the smaller obstacles after his run over fences at Exeter in December. He was sore after disappointing that day. We got him right over Christmas and decided to go back to hurdling. It will be only his third race over hurdles, and he’s still unexposed. Hopefully there is more to come from him.

Ryan Potter, trainer of Jetoile
It’s a very competitive race and there are more than half a dozen horses who can win it. He’s one of them. He deserves to take his chance after his second in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown, he ran a blinder that day. He’s versatile ground-wise and the course should suit him, he has a lot of things in his favour. The one I fear most is Broomfield Burg.