Tuesdays big race The Champion Hurdle. Go Native will land a £1m bonus if he wins here but there are 10 horses standing in his way. The Champion Hurdle has in many way been the hardest race antepost to fathom. There has been more in outs than the hokey cokey for the Champion Hurdle Field. We know that there are eleven runners, but who will win?

Nicky Henderson saddles three in the race with Punjabi, the reigning champion being the choice of stable jockey Barry Geraghty. In my view he has made a mistake, I think Zaynar will perform better and in my view represents the best each-way value in the race. He was beaten at Kelso but I am prepared to forget that, the ground was a joke and he will get perfect going at Cheltenham. Last year he won the Triumph Hurdle and is looking to emulate Katchit to win the Champion Hurdle as a five year-old. However only one five year old from 79 that have started since 1985 have won.

What is interesting is that Ireland have a strong hand in The Champion Hurdle with Solwhit and Go Native reopposing. Go Native beat Solwhit in TheFighting Fifth Hurdle and I think can do it again. Here is that run at Newcastle last year;

Go Native looks very strong here. Go Native has only been beaten once this season which was by Voler La Vedette and has done nothing wrong since. Certainly against this field I would opt for Go Native. Binocular has looked a shadow of the horse he was, Punjabi won an egg and spoon race last time and has shown nothing since his Champion Hurdle win last year, Celestial Halo could run well but I am prepared to overlook Paul Nicholls’ horse here.

I think this is a really tough race but I am going with two in The Champion Hurdle.

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Tony McCoy rides Binocular in Champion Hurdle

Indeed, he had initially been ruled out of the race by Henderson on February 17 after suffering a muscle problem. But following a pleasing schooling session on Wednesday, he came through a gallop on Friday morning with flying colours. The recent Sandown scorer will be ridden by Tony McCoy.

Binocular will add a third string to the Champion Hurdle bow of the Seven Barrows handler, who will also be represented by the Barry Geraghty-ridden Punjabi and Zaynar, the mount of Andrew Tinkler. Binocular could finish only fifth in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, but showed more promise when third in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. He then won a three-runner race at Sandown but connections were not happy in the aftermath and he was ruled out of the Festival. Having gone back into training last week, Henderson is now satisfied that he should take his chance.

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Punjabi…

Barry Geraghty has chosen to ride Punjabi in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle. Nicky Henderson‘s stable jockey was aboard the gelding for his victory in the race 12 months ago and has stayed loyal despite having the option of partnering Zaynar.

The trainer confirmed riding plans for his three runners in the race, saying: “Binocular will be ridden by AP (McCoy), Barry (Geraghty) will ride Punjabi and Andrew Tinkler will now ride Zaynar.

“They are all very well and all three are pleasing me.”

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Andrew Tinkler is thrilled to be on Zaynar….

Andrew Tinkler has expressed his delight after picking up the ride on Nicky Henderson’s Zaynar in Tuesday’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The news comes after the Seven Barrows handler was able to firm-up jockey plans for the race following confirmation that last year’s third and stablemate Binocular would take his place in the line-up.

The JP McManus-owned gelding had initially been ruled out of the race on February 17 but following a pleasing schooling session on Wednesday, he came through a Friday gallop with flying colours.

His participation means McManus’ retained jockey Tony McCoy will be aboard Binocular and with Barry Geraghty opting to ride last year’s winner Punjabi, Tinkler will now get the leg up on Zaynar.

“It’s brilliant news and he’s a horse who I obviously had a good win on at Ascot and he goes there with a live chance,” said Tinkler.

“His form is there to see and he’s obviously a Cheltenham winner.

“I think on better ground he’ll come out with a bit more zest and a bit more speed and apparently he’s in good form at home.

“His schooling went well the other morning and he’s a very, very good ride to get.”

Zaynar’s Champion Hurdle credentials took a big knock when he was beaten as the 1-14 favourite at Kelso last time, but Tinkler was keen to praise his conqueror, Quwetwo.

“I think Nicky was glad he went there as he had to be beaten some time and a lot of attention was on Zaynar’s defeat, where as the winner didn’t get the credit he deserved,” Tinkler told At The Races.

“I’ll be watching re-runs of Champion Hurdles and seeing where the best place to be is, but I believe Zaynar is going there in tip-top condition.”

Geraghty admits the decision to side with Punjabi was not an easy one but his recent success at Kempton left the jockey suitably impressed.

Speaking on his blog on www.attheraces.com, Geraghty said: “After a lot of hard thinking, I’m going to stay loyal and ride Punjabi in the Champion Hurdle.

“It was not an easy decision to make because Zaynar is a very talented horse that any jockey would want to ride, but I couldn’t get off the reigning Champion Hurdler when he’s in such good form.

“He’s a horse that’s done it on the big stage and he knows what to expect on the big day.

“But more important still, he just gave me the most unbelievable feel at Kempton, when he really picked up impressively.

“I’m sure he is simply a spring horse and just comes to himself at this time of year, it was just a much better feel at Kempton to the one he gave me the time before at Haydock.

“My decision should not reflect at all on Zaynar as I’m sure he’ll run a big race.

“It is a tribute to the team that Binocular is now back in the picture.

“I got the impression that Nicky was buzzing after he schooled last week.

“It’s great that Nicky and the owners are letting Andrew Tinkler ride Zaynar in the Champion and I really am delighted about that because he deserves the chance on a well-fancied ride in a championship race.

“He gave him a terrific ride when they won at Ascot early in the season.”

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Punjabi

But this time round he had been expected to take the mount on stablemate Binocular, before he was ruled out with a muscle problem. That left a straight choice between Punjabi and last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar, and it looks likely the Irishman will plump for the former.

Henderson said on Monday: “Barry Geraghty is very likely to ride Punjabi. Nothing’s set in stone but I’d imagine that’s the way we’ll go. I spoke to Dave Roberts (Tony McCoy’s agent) and AP is on standby to ride whichever one is free.”

Zaynar lost ante-post favouritism for the Champion when being beaten at long odds-on at Kelso last month. And it now looks as though he’ll have McCoy’s assistance at Prestbury Park.

When asked whether McCoy would school the grey ahead of the Festival, Henderson said:

“I’d imagine he has done before. I would imagine he’s likely to have a sit on him before Cheltenham. The cheekpieces will go back on Zaynar in the Champion.”

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Nicky Henderson had to use the hastily-arranged Racing Post iphone App HBLB Champion Hurdle Trial as a stepping stone to Cheltenham on March 16 following the loss of the Kingwell Hurdle last weekend. Punjabi was turned over in that Wincanton race 12 months ago but enjoyed a much more straightforward preparation a year down the line as he cantered home some 12 lengths to the good.

Barry Geraghty had to survive a scary moment in the saddle down the back when hampered by the fall of Treaty Flyer and his mount also jumped slowly at the third-last.

But the 1-6 favourite tanked his way to the front running to the penultimate obstacle and came away from the field as one would have expected – unlike stablemate Zaynar who was turned over as the 1-14 favourite last week.

Henderson said: “I am very grateful to Kempton and the BHA for arranging this race as he needed to do that. He has had a thoroughly nice time and while I know it may not be everyone’s cup of tea watching 1-6 favourites, we know they can get beat at 1-14! This will have helped him and put him right. He jumped and quickened nicely and will have got the adrenaline from racing. It would have been nice to win the Kingwell and lots and lots of money, but I am just as happy to win this as he needed to get it done. This puts this fellow slap bang in there and he is heading to Cheltenham after an easy win as opposed to last year when he was beaten at Wincanton.”

Bookmakers were not so inclined to agree with Henderson and Sky Bet left him unchanged at 9/1. Geraghty will have to choose between Punjabi and Zaynar at Cheltenham, with Henderson adding that champion jockey Tony McCoy will probably take the mount on whichever his colleague rejects. Zaynar is 7-1 for the Champion Hurdle despite his shock Kelso reverse at the hands of the Howard Johnson-regarded Quwetwo.

“Zaynar is fine and cantered twice this morning,” Henderson added. He will start working again next week but won’t go away to work. He had a really good blow at Kelso and he is certainly not out of it. All I have heard since the race is how good the winner is. That is all people keep telling me.”

With Punjabi beaten three times after his Champion Hurdle win, Zaynar being turned over at Kelso and Binocular ruled out through injury, Henderson’s three-strong hand in the race has taken quite a hit. He added:

“It is not quite as good as it looked before Christmas with three of them but we still have two good chances.”

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Runner up Petit Robin jumped out to the left throughout the race and made mistakes, but was no match for the Paul Nicholls trained winner. Petit Robin was pushed out to 10/1 from 8s. In the Champion Hurdle picture Punjabi was pushed out to 16s from 10s to retain his crown at Cheltenham and is now the same price as his Haydock conqueror Medermit.

Queen Mother Champion Chase 2010 ~ Outright Ante post, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3)

6-4 Master Minded
5 Twist Magic (from 7s)
8 Forpadydeplasterer
8 Big Zeb
10 Petit Robin (from 8s)
10 Kalahari King
16 Barker
16 Sizing Europe
16 Golden Silver
20 Bar

Champion Hurdle 2010 ~ Outright Ante post, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3)

4 Zaynar
11-2 Go Native
11-2 Solwhit
8 Hurricane Fly
8 Binocular
9 Celestial Halo
9 Khyber Kim
14 Starluck
14 Voler La Vedette
16 Punjabi (from 10s)
16 Medermit (from 33s)
16 Dunguib
20 Sublimity

Stan James antepost market movers Saturday:

Roberto Goldbeck 16s from 25s for RSA Chase

Advisor 14s from 20s for Supreme Novices’ Hurdle

Diamond Harry 6s from 12s RSA Chase

Cheltenham Festival News from Racing Diary