How the home team fare when up against the best Irish raiders is one of the most fascinating things about the Cheltenham Festival each year.

Wherever horses hail from, winning a race during the four days of gripping National Hunt action isn’t easy. Handling the undulations of the racecourse at Prestbury Park remains one of the biggest tests of their mettle in racing.

Plenty of spoils have gone back across the Irish Sea in recent years, leaving the British with scarce triumphs in the Prestbury Cup, awarded to whichever nation trains the most Festival winners. With that in mind, which races at Cheltenham this year look like offering value to punters taking on fancied horses from Ireland? Here’s four.

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Getabird (Willie Mullins) heads the Supreme ante-post betting, but favourites have a notoriously poor recent record in the Festival opener with just one outright market leader delivering in the last decade.

The British challenge among 2m novice hurdlers this season is led by Betfair Hurdle winner Kalashnikov (Amy Murphy) and Summerville Boy (Tom George), who beat him in the Grade 1 Tolworth at Sandown back in January.

Conditions could be in the latter’s favour to confirm the form again. It’s also worth highlighting how recent Betfair Hurdle victors haven’t fared well when going on to Cheltenham.

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

The unbeaten Samcro (Gordon Elliott) is considered by many to be the Irish banker of the Festival. He is a long-time odds-on favourite for the 2m 5f Ballymore and should be respected.

One thing Samcro isn’t, however, is value from a betting perspective. Taking him on with something else in the field each-way represents a better return, so On The Blind Side (Nicky Henderson) is unbeaten and a course/distance winner.

If you think it’s madness to go against Samcro, then there are Cheltenham free betting offers involving him and other Festival fancies with the bookies, with Paddy Power offering money back if your pick loses.

RSA Chase

Presenting Percy (Pat Kelly) won at last year’s Festival over hurdles and has launched his novice chase career at 3m since. Beaten favourites on their previous run tend to find it difficult to bounce back at Cheltenham, however.

There may have been excuses for Presenting Percy dropping back to two-and-a-half miles last time out and another Irish raider Monalee (Henry de Bromhead) is almost prominent in the RSA betting. This race is far from a match though, because of the presence of the popular and plucky Black Corton (Paul Nicholls).

Although on the go since the summer, the rapid progress made by this diminutive stayer and his partnership with jockey Bryony Frost – who has been one of the revelations of the British jumps season – cannot be ignored. Black Corton has Grade 1 novice chase form at the trip and two course/distance wins.

Stayers’ Hurdle

Supasundae (Jessica Harrington) shot to the head of the betting and became all the rage for the 3m Stayers’ Hurdle after his Irish Champion Hurdle success at 2m over Faugheen. Just like Presenting Percy, this Irish raider is a Cheltenham Festival winner for last year.

One thing backers of Supasundae are overlooking is he hasn’t won a race at 3m. Of his two outings at the trip, he has twice been runner-up, so will the third time be the charm?

Not if Yanworth (Alan King) confirms the form of last season’s Liverpool Hurdle now he’s switched back from chasing. Supporting Supasundae is to also ignore the considerable claims of rapidly progressing northern trained youngster Sam Spinner (Jedd O’Keefe) too.