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Ante-post favourite Annie Power and Lil Rockerfeller have been added to the feature £436,000 Grade One Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on day one of The Festival, Champion Day, Tuesday, March 15.

Trained by Willie Mullins, Annie Power has topped the betting since making a winning return to action at Punchestown on February 17, the same day stablemate Faugheen was ruled out of defending his crown with a tendon injury. The eight-year-old mare, who fell at the last with the OLBG Mares' Hurdle at her mercy at The Festival 2015, is the 2/1 favourite with Stan James.

Mullins, responsible for the first three home 12 months ago, has also confirmed six-time Grade One scorer Nichols Canyon (11/2), the only horse to beat Faugheen,and Sempre Medici (20/1), who was runner-up to Old Guard (Paul Nicholls, 20/1) in the Grade Two StanJames.com International Hurdle at Cheltenham in December.

The Irish challenge is completed by Identity Thief (Henry De Bromhead, 11/2), winner of the Grade One StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November.

Lil Rockerfeller (Neil King, 33/1) has been supplemented after a decisive nine-length victory in the Grade Two National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on February 28, which boosted the form of Camping Ground.

Camping Ground overcame Lil Rockerfeller by 11 lengths in the Grade Two Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle over two and a half miles at Cheltenham on January 1, with Top Notch (Nicky Henderson, 16/1) well-beaten back in fifth.

Trained by Robert Walford in Dorset, the six-year-old did not appear to get home over three miles in the Grade Two galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 30, finishing fifth.

Walford said today: "Camping Ground is in good order and the plan is to run in the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

"It was a tough call between the two races but you would probably be playing for second in the World Hurdle, whereas the Champion looks more open than in previous years.

"Faugheen and Arctic Fire were the top two horses in the race and, without them, it is definitely more winnable.

"On ratings, Camping Ground has only got six or seven pounds to find. We are hoping he can find it, but are not going there expecting.

"I wasn't too worried either way about the rain but I suppose it doesn't do any harm as we know he handles softer conditions."

Camping Ground is a 20/1 chance with Stan James.

The New One (Nigel Twiston-Davies) is the shortest-priced British-trained challenger at 6/1 after getting back to winning ways in a Grade Two contest at Haydock Park in January.

Nicky Henderson is the most successful trainer in the Stan James Champion Hurdle with five victories. The Lambourn handler has five entries going forward led by My Tent Or Yours (10/1), who has not run since finishing second in the 2014 renewal, plus the first three home from last year's JCB Triumph Hurdle in Peace And Co (20/1), Top Notch and Hargam (20/1). Sign Of A Victory (66/1) completes the quintet.

Stan James Champion Hurdle, Stan James odds: 2/1 Annie Power; 11/2 Nichols Canyon, Identity Thief; 6/1 The New One; 10/1 My Tent Or Yours; 16/1 Top Notch; 20/1 Sempre Medici, Camping Ground, Old Guard, Peace And Co, Hargam; 33/1 Lil Rockerfeller; 100/1 Sign Of A Victory

1.30pm £120,000 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle (Grade One)

Willie Mullins is responsible for nine of the 25 confirmations for The Festival's curtain raiser, the Grade One Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, including Min, who is 2/1 favourite with Sky Bet.

The five-year-old, unbeaten in two appearances at Punchestown this season, is out to provide Mullins and owner Susannah Ricci with a fourth straight win in the race following Champagne Fever (2013), Vautour (2014) and Douvan (2015).

Ireland's champion Jump trainer has also left in Grade One 32Red Tolworth Novices' Hurdle scorer Yorkhill (9/2 with Sky Bet), with the Nicky Henderson-trained pair of Altior (4/1) and Buveur D'Air (7/1) also featuring prominently in Sky Bet's market.

Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Sky Bet odds: 2/1 Min; 4/1 Altior; 9/2 Yorkhill; 7/1 Buveur D'Air; 12/1 Tombstone; 16/1 Long Dog; Moon Racer, Silver Concorde, Supasundae; 20/1 Bellshill; 25/1 Ball D'Arc, Charbel, Vigil; 33/1 Bachasson; 40/1 A Hare Breath, Mister Miyagi, North Hill Harvey, Penglai Pavilion; 50/1 Babbling Stream, Holly Bush Henry, Petit Mouchoir, Thomas Hobson; 66/1 Bello Conti, William H Bonney; 80/1 Okotoks

2.10pm £150,000 Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (Grade One)

Last year's Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle victor Douvan looks set to be one of the bankers of The Festival in the Racing Post Arkle Chase, which has 14 confirmations. The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old has made a faultless start to his chasing career this season, headed by a pair of effortless Grade One wins at Leopardstown in the Racing Post Novice Chase and the Arkle Novice Chase.

Douvan's main dangers could be Doncaster Grade Two winner Vaniteux (Nicky Henderson), Garde La Victoire (Philip Hobbs), who is also unbeaten in three chase starts, and Racing Post Novice Chase runner-up Sizing John (Henry de Bromhead).

2.50pm £100,000 Ultima Handicap Chase (Grade Three)

Impressive Ascot Listed handicap chase victor Sausalito Sunrise (11st 12lb, Philip Hobbs) heads the weights for the Grade Three Ultima Handicap Chase. A total of 57 acceptors for the three mile, one furlong handicap chase, also features progressive novice Out Sam (10st 2lb, Warren Greatrex), Kruzhlinin (10st 11lb, Philip Hobbs) and Holywell (11st 2lb, Jonjo O'Neill), who took this race in 2014.

4.10pm £104,500 OLBG Mares' Hurdle (Grade One)

Willie Mullins has won the last seven runnings of the OLBG Mares' Hurdle and has Annie Power and Vroum Vroum Mag among his four-strong team this time around. Gary Moore has supplemented Flute Bowl following a Listed success at Warwick last time out.

The 26 confirmations also feature Polly Peachum (Nicky Henderson) and Bitofapuzzle (Harry Fry), who were second and third last year, plus Doncaster Grade Two scorer Smart Talk (Brian Ellison).

4.50pm £100,000 146th Year Of The National Hunt Chase (Listed, for amateur riders)

Gordon Elliott captured the National Hunt Chase in 2015 with Cause Of Causes and the County Meath handler could aim for back-to-back wins in the four-mile contest with Noble Endeavor, one of 33 horses going forward in this year's race. The seven-year-old was beaten a head in the 2015 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle and was also second in the Grade Two Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan on February 14.

Minella Rocco was also runner-up at Grade Two level on his latest start, finding Vyta Du Roc half a length too strong in the Reynoldstown Novices' Chase at Ascot on February 20, and the J P McManus-owned gelding could bid to provide trainer Jonjo O'Neill with a sixth success in the race. Seven acceptors from the Willie Mullins stable include Roi Des Francs and Pont Alexandre.

5.30pm £65,000 Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase (Listed)

The closing contest of Champion Day, the Close Brothers Novices' Handicap Chase, looks set to be a particularly competitive affair, with 34 of the remaining 47 entries due to carry at least 11st.

Aloomomo (Warren Greatrex), an easy winner of a Newbury handicap chase in November, and the 2014 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle second Ballyalton (Ian Williams) feature among five horses allotted joint-top weight of 11st 10lb.

Other contenders going forward in the extended two and a half mile chase include Willow's Saviour (11st 8lb, Dan Skelton), who has won two of his three starts over fences, and valuable Leopardstown handicap chase second Killer Crow (11st 6lb, Gordon Elliott).

The ground at Cheltenham is currently Soft. There was 24 millimetres of rain overnight, Tuesday into Wednesday. The outlook is mostly dry and turning milder.