What would define a successful Cheltenham Festival? Here are the places to look

There is a week to go until what is, for many, the biggest four days of the racing year.

The Cheltenham Festival is a mighty beast, dominating the thoughts of professionals and fans for months on end, dragging people in through the gates of the racecourse from far and wide and helping to generate many spectacular memories – unless too much Guinness is imbibed, of course.

While the racing, the atmosphere and the fervour of the festival will flood the minds of hundreds of thousands of people, the impact will be less acute for those of us who get their kicks primarily from two-year-olds, Royal Ascot and the Breeders' Cup.