There are seven races on the Sandown Park card, which also includes the Grade 3 Gold Cup Chase.

The Celebration Chase doesn't have a long history, but it holds a unique spot in the British horseracing calendar.

The only reason it was first held in 2001 is because the Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to a foot-and-mouth crisis and a replacement race called the Championship Chase was introduced.

Despite being downgraded to Class B throughout the early stages of the race, before being upgraded to Grade 2 in 2005 and a name change to the Celebration Chase was in order.

It has since been given the green light for Grade 1 status and it continues to attract the best chasers in the country.

There's no doubting that it takes a smart chaser to win the Celebration Chase.

Altior was the raging hot favourite to win in 2017 and he did the job well. The son of High Chaparral paid 30/100 with bookmakers and destroyed a quality field by eight lengths.

That field included 2015 winner Special Tiara, but in between those two wins came champion thoroughbred Sprinter Sacre.

Not quite a sprinter, Sprinter Sacre was the first of two consecutive winners for trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Nico de Boinville.

A son of Network, the French-bred runner won 18 of his 24 starts and the Celebration was his last major victory.

Sire de Grugy won in 2013 and 2014 and again proved the quality needed to win this race.

Legendary jockey Tony McCoy won the race on three occasions and trainer Paul Nicholls has won the race on five occasions.

When betting the Celebration Chase, it pays to back the best horses in the race. There is rarely an upset winner.

The Celebration Chase is the final jumps races of the season, therefore there are plenty of lead-up races.

The Mildmay Novices' Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup have been used in the past.

Altior used the Arkle Challenge Trophy and Game Spirit Chase in preparation, but Sprinter Sacre and Special Tiara both used the Desert Orchid Chase.