Pentland Hills was the best juvenile hurdler last season but the horse could struggle to confirm the form by winning the International Hurdle. The Triumph Hurdle winner and favourite will face up to nine other horses at Cheltenham on Saturday, including the winner of the Australian St Leger. Big Blue is the outsider but the horse could be anything if he takes to British hurdling and the course and conditions of the race over two miles and one furlong.

Big Blue can be backed at +5000 with Bovada to win his first race in the UK. It's highly unusual that a Grade 1 winner on the Flat in Australia is campaigned in Britain with the Champion Hurdle the ultimate target. However, Big Blue also won the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool, which is one of Australia's premier races over jumps. Evaluating the form is difficult but Big Blue will have to be something special to beat Pentland Hills.

The Nicky Henderson-trained horse won the four-year-old championship races at the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National meeting. He was unbeaten in three hurdle races last season, improving his Racing Post Rating from 128 to 148. Pentland Hills was moderate on the Flat, winning two turf races from 11 starts. He beat Fakir d'Oudairies by a neck off level weights at Aintree. That horse was more than a match for Samcro, who fell, in a Grade 1 novice chase earlier this month.

It is just about impossible to come to any firm conclusions about the relative value of the form in major hurdle races in Great Britain and Australia. However, Big Blue has won over AUD 745,000 in prize money and he was sired by Galileo. The horse was foaled in the UK and produced a career high RPR on the Flat of 109. Pentland Hills best figure on the level is 77. If there were no obstacles at Cheltenham you would fancy Big Blue to win by half the track but there are eight of them.

The International Hurdle is one of the main trials for the Champion Hurdle. However, the last horse to win both races in the same season is Rooster Booster, in 2002/03. The winner is often a high class hurdler and The New One is one of three three-time winners. (2013, 2014 and 2016). Henderson has won the race five times this century, including in the last two years with My Tent Or Yours and Brain Power. The leading jockey is Richard Johnson with six wins between 1997 and 2016.

Here are some key betting trends for the International Hurdle over the last 10 years:

• The average starting price of the winners was almost +400.
• The SP's ranged from -250 to +1200.
• There were 5 outright winning favourites.
• 1 winner started at double-figure odds.
• 5 winners were returned at -250 to +175.

Pentland Hills can currently be backed at a best price of +150 with Bovada. Since 2000, 13 winners were aged from 4 to 6 and the favourite is aged 4. Seven of the last 12 winners had winning form at Cheltenham and Pentland Hills ticks this box. However, the horse is rated a few pounds below a typical winner over the last decade. Pentland Hills looks a weak favourite at the price. Call Me Lord can be backed at +700 and that price offers some value. Ch'tibello is the second favourite and is a better horse than Pentland Hills on his best rating. Pentland Hills looks vulnerable.

Placing Big Blue in this pecking order is fraught with danger. Travelling from Australia is a handicap but the horse has been stabled in the UK for a number of weeks. However, a comment from the trainer is telling. Ciaron Maher said: ‘It's not ideal but there aren't really any other options for him coming up”. Big Blue is clearly a talented horse but running in the UK for the first time in an unsuitable race is a huge negative. However, Pentland Hills is not fancied to win the International Hurdle and another horse is preferred.

It's impossible to get away from Ch'tibello's best form. The horse won the County Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham this March. He was then third behind Supasundae and Buveur D'Air at Aintree. That is outstanding form against seasoned hurdlers. Pentland Hills beat the best four-year-olds at the two spring festivals but has only won a maiden hurdle against older horses. Ch'tibello is the horse to back in the International Hurdle but Big Blue's performance will be fascinating.