Current event bids for festival glory

Four-time British champion rider Will Biddick rides the nine-year-old, who was bought privately by Sheikh Fahad last year. Current Event is trained in Somerset by Rose Loxton, and won a point-to-point at Larkhill last month

Drying ground will definitely help his chances in the 24-runner race, which is restricted to amateur riders and horses that have been hunting this season.

On The Fringe, trained in Ireland by Enda Bolger, won the race last year and lines up again, but the focus for many people will be Victoria Pendleton, who rides Pacha Du Polder.

Pendleton, a former World title-holding cyclist, is Britain's most successful female Olympian, with two golds and a silver medal. Now 35, she only began riding one year ago, and has achieved a stunning result in merely making it to a place in the line-up.