Over the years, many of national hunt racings most renowned equine and human celebrities have been associated with the hurdling's Blue Riband event. The roll of honours reads like an encyclopedia of the sport. From Blaris to Istabraq, all the great horses are here, notably the elite quintet of triple champions: "the ugly duckling" Hatton's Grace; surely "the ultimate champion" Persian War; the irascible pair Sir Ken and See You Then; and Istabraq himself, denied his first crack at the elusive fourth title because of the disastrous foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001. The story of how these characters have combined to make the Champion Hurdle such a great race is full of thrills and spills.