The countdown to the Cheltenham Festival is well and truly underway but there is a welcome distraction at Newbury on Saturday as 23 horses prepare to clash in a mouth-watering renewal of the totesport Trophy.

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It appears to be a really classy renewal of the two-mile showpiece and as ever the race looks set to be a particularly daunting puzzle for punters to solve.

The market and weights are headed by huge ante post gamble Solix who will be making his British racecourse debut for legendary trainer Nicky Henderson.  The money has been coming for the horse for some time now and it would be foolish to ignore the bundles of cash being thrown at the French import.  However, he does have to carry top-weight and though jockey David Bass will be claiming 5lb, he looks to have been set a huge task.

Solix will share 11st12lbs with Alan King’s progressive Salden Licht who has looked a natural when it comes to hurdling and there is sure to be plenty more to come after his power-packed display at Exeter last month.  There are also proven Grade One performers in the shape of Supreme Novices’ Hurdle second Get Me Out Of Here, who produced an awesome turn of foot to win this last year (he’s 15lbs higher now), and Alan King’s Aintree Grade One winner Walkon.

It isn’t hard to see why Walkon is favourite for the race after his impressive return to action at Ascot three weeks ago and he clearly retains all the ability that saw him mix it with the likes of Zaynar in 2009.  He has never finished out of the first two over hurdles and 6lbs well in after his latest performance, jockey Robert Thornton is noticeably bullish about the chances of the six-year-old.  Very well treated on his best form and running for an in-form trainer, he could prove hard to catch but there must be a serious worry that he bounces after his comeback last month.

A more interesting betting proposition comes in the shape of Nicky Henderson’s SOLDATINO who can be expected to build on his reappearance at Ascot.  The 2010 Triumph Hurdle winner actually finished eighteen lengths behind Walkon there, but Soldatino fared far better than the form suggests.

Henderson had warned that his relatively inexperienced star would need the run and he was reported to have had a tricky preparation for the race.  The lack of confidence behind the five-year-old was reflected in the betting as he proved easy to back after travelling very keenly to post.  He looked every bit the ‘baby’ that his trainer had described him as after his success at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.

However, there was nothing babyish about the way he travelled throughout the race and he looked the most likely winner coming around Swinley Bottom three from home.  Looming over his rivals like a seriously classy horse he eventually tired with his lack of race fitness and pre-race antics finally taking their toll on the youngster.  After it was clear he was facing a huge task approaching the final two fences, Barry Geraghty gave Soldatino an easy time of it and he was never asked to do more than he wanted.

Despite the fact he finished a well beaten sixth, it was an impressive performance and the frantic gallop over two miles on Saturday will be to his liking.  In-running punters should have the opportunity to lay their bet off as he cruises into the race and it could be set up for the hugely talented grey.  He is certainly in the right hands with trainer Nicky Henderson’s fantastic record in the Newbury showpiece (four victories in the last eleven renewals) and it is always nice to see leading jockey Barry Geraghty in the saddle.