But that all seems behind him now with the desperate ground that day emerging as the likely reason for his below-par effort, and he has arrived at Cheltenham in top form.

Yet he almost didn’t make it over hurdles, with Meade originally planning to send the six-year-old chasing this season.

“At the end of last season he ran in the Emo Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival and was fourth,” he said.

“My initial reaction was that the horse was not good enough and I did plan to send him over fences this season, but it was suggested by someone at home that he was a big horse and had only just turned five, so he was worth another chance.

“After that we decided to go back down the hurdles route and he did disappoint me initially, when he was beaten into third in Tipperary.

“But he did get quite tired that day on the really soft ground and the next time out he beat Macs Joy and Back In Front in the Morgiana at Punchestown.

“I decided after that to take it one race at a time, but after he won the ‘Fighting Fifth’ I knew the way to go was to the Champion Hurdle.”

Following those three impressive victories, Harchibald was a general 7-2 chance for Festival glory, despite failing to deliver at last year’s big meeting, when he disappointed in the County Hurdle.

Travelling well at he head of affairs coming to the last, which he clattered, the 7-1 joint-favourite then emptied out up the hill to come home in fifth.

“There is a stiff uphill finish at Cheltenham and everybody has been asking me whether he will get up it or not,” said Meade. “I think if he is travelling well enough then he will, and I am hopeful that will be the case.

“The ground would be the other factor to consider as he wants reasonable ground. He wouldn’t like it if it turned tacky and he gets glued down.”

The first seven in the betting on the blue riband all emanate from the Emerald Isle.

Reflecting on the stranglehold his country has on the Champion Hurdle, Meade said: “I’m not surprised at the strength of the Irish challenge, I’m only surprised that it didn’t happen sooner.

“Horses are much more evenly spread these days and a lot more are being kept in Ireland, and even bought back from the sales, where at one time they would have been sent to England.

“Bumper horses especially used to be sold to go abroad, but they are being kept at home, which has built the Irish division up, and I am sure the better prize money here has been a factor too.”