Deloitte Novices Hurdle Odds and Betting Preview - Sous Les Cieux narrow favourite for Ruby Walsh

LEOPARDSTOWN, IRELAND - Sunday's fantastic card at Leopardstown features four Grade 1 races and the second of these is the Deloitte Novices Hurdle, which should provide more clues for the Cheltenham Festival in a month's time. The race is run over two miles and two furlongs, and is worth €52,000 to the winner. The ground at Leopardstown is currently described as yielding-to-soft.

This race has an incredible roll-call of winners with the last four winners all going on to have an impact at Cheltenham, with last year's winner Oscars Well leading at the final flight in the Neptune Novices hurdle before stumbling and finishing fourth. The race has also been won by the likes of Istabraq and Brave Inca further back.

The favourite for this year's renewal is Sous Les Cieux, who is trained by Willie Mullins and will be ridden by Ruby Walsh. The six-year-old looked extremely impressive when winning the Grade 1 Royal Bond Hurdle earlier in the season, but was disappointing when sent off as the 4/9 favourite in another Grade 1 over Christmas. The gelding would not have been suited by having to make the running that day, and should be suited by the two furlongs extra of this race. He is a best priced 9/4 with Stan James, and can also be backed at a general 16/1 for the Neptune at Cheltenham.

The most interesting aspect of this year's renewal is the Nicky Henderson trained Captain Conan, who will be representing the form of the English novices. The five-year-old is clearly well thought of at home, as he was pitched into the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown, which he won. He still looks very raw, and will make a great chaser someday, but could be similar to the same trainer's Sprinter Sacre, who is far better over fences this season and with another year on his back. It also seems that the form of the Tolworth is not the strongest, with the favourite Prospect Wells suffering from a wind problem, and Colour Squadron squandering his winning chance by hanging left. At a best price of 3/1 with Stan James, he doesn't look like a fantastic betting opportunity and might only be seen at his best when going over fences. He is a best priced 20/1 for the Neptune with Coral, who also offer a top price of 25/1 for the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Also available at a best price of 3/1 is Cash And Go, who is at that price with Skybet. He beat the favourite in this race into third at this course at Christmas, and is currently unbeaten over timber. He displayed a real fighting spirit that day, and would definitely be one to have on side in the case of a close finish. He should handle the step up in trip, but is seen as more of a Supreme horse than a Neptune contender, and he is a 16/1 chance with William Hill for the Festival curtain-raiser.

One horse who could be slightly underrated is Lord Windermere, who won a listed hurdle at Punchestown last time out. That day he showed guts to beat Dylan Ross by a head, and considering that Cash And Go only beat that rival by half a length at Christmas, he doesn't appear to have to improve too much to trouble the principles. Although both his wins have come in really testing conditions, his trainer believes he will improve for better ground, and he could be decent value at 8/1 with William Hill.

Next in the betting is the Gigginstown Stud owned Il Fenomino, who actually beat Dylan Ross by more than both Lord Windermere and Cash And Go. However, he had his limitations exposed in the Royal Bond, where he was beaten 25 lengths by Sous Les Cieux. At 10/1 with Boylesports, he is not a hopeless cause, but this trip could be on the sharp side for him.

The other two runners are Burn And Turn and Benefficient, who are priced at 25/1 and 33/1 with Betvictor.

The race is due to be run at 1410 BST, and will be live on At The Races.

Supreme Novices Hurdle betting odds

Neptune Investment Management Hurdle betting odds