Cheltenham Festival 2015: Supreme Novices’ Hurdle preview (13:30)

L’Ami Serge has looked a potential superstar in winning all three of his starts since joining trainer Nicky Henderson, and can see off a strong Irish challenge to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (13:30) for the home team.

This gelding had some smart form to his name when trained in France by Guillalme Macaire, and could not have been more impressive when cruising home by six lengths in a Listed handicap hurdle at Newbury on his first start for Henderson.

The five-year-old travelled ominously well throughout, and won with any amount in hand despite flattening the last two flights.

L’Ami Serge looked to have a huge engine judged on that performance, and confirmed that impression when cruising to a facile seven length success over Killutagh Vic in a Grade 2 contest at Ascot.

The son of King’s Theatre then took the step up into Grade 1 company in his stride last time out when running out the facile 14 length winner of the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown, where he again travelled strongly throughout before quickening clear in testing conditions.

His turn of foot on bottomless going marked him out as something very special, and L’ami Serge is a beautiful mover who should be just as effective, or even better, on better ground.

It’s impossible to pick holes in L’Ami Serge’s profile, and he can get the better of the highly touted Douvan to provide Henderson with his third winner of the 2m contest, following River Ceiriog (1986) and Flown (1992).

Douvan has notched two facile successes since joining champion Irish trainer Willie Mullins, and is favourite to give the County Carlow his third successive win in this opening race of the Festival.