Irish trainer Dermot Weld has revealed it is “unlikely” that Unaccompanied will run in the Champion Hurdle.

The news has come in light of her richly disappointing run in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, where she finished a well-beaten fourth behind the ultra-impressive and leading contender for the Champion Hurdle at Prestbury Park, Hurricane Fly.

That performance has had many punters salivating over the chances of Willie Mullins’ charge defending his Champion crown and the even money quotes surrounding his chances have all but disappeared now such has been the momentum behind his chances.

Rival trainers have also admitted the performance was outstanding, including Nicky Henderson, who has classy youngster Grandouet all set to take on Hurricane Fly but now may think twice regarding his chances of toppling the hot favourite.

Nothing has been confirmed on that front, but Unaccompanied is all but certain not to turn up.

Her below-par run came as a surprise to many punters as she was well backed on the day of the race, going off a strong second favourite behind the eventual winner.

Before that disappointing effort, the five-year-old, who finished second in last year’s Triumph Hurdle at the Festival, had looked a real Champion Hurdle contender. She followed up a nice win in a Listed event at Naas with a top-class performance in the Istabraq Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Conditions were very different last Sunday however, and Weld has admitted that didn’t play to her strengths.

“Unaccompanied wasn’t able to handle the very testing ground at Leopardstown and Davy [Russell] looked after her,” Weld said.

“She’s come out of the race okay and I will be talking, but it’s unlikely she go the the Cheltenham Festival and take on Hurricane Fly again.

“We could aim her at the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival, although we will also be looking at some good Flat races for her, including the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh, which she won last year.”

Speaking on New Year’s Day, Henderson revealed his plans for Binocular, Grandouet and Spirit Son as they prepare for the Champion Hurdle on 13th March 2012.

He said: “Spirit Son worked very well on Saturday and is about three weeks off a run. I think the old Agfa Hurdle could be the race for him ahead of Cheltenham.”

“For obvious reasons we won’t be taking Binocular to Sandown and I’ve yet to decide where he’ll go. It’s possible he could run in Ireland.”

Elsewhere in news related to the Cheltenham Festival, Ruby Walsh has spoken about his belief that Long Run deserves to be one of the favourites for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup at the 2012 Festival, despite inevitable pressure from Kauto Star.

He said: “Kauto is not getting any younger and Long Run beat us comprehensively in the Gold Cup last year.”

“It’s over three and a quarter miles, and on a different track and a different day.He was only a length and a half behind at Kempton so he closed the gap from Haydock.”

“Would I get off Kauto Star? No. Do I think Long Run should be favourite? Yes. I’m looking forward to it and I hope we all get there.”

As for the owner of Long Run, Waley-Cohen senior, he admits that despite falling short in the major events recently, all focus is on getting ready for the Gold Cup.

The owner said: “Sam (his son) will be free on the 11th of February to ride in the Denman. We haven’t finally decided whether to run him in it, but it is one of the many factors that will help us make our mind up.”

“I’m going down to see the horse at Mr Henderson’s tomorrow but I believe he’s come out of the race fine. All roads lead to the Gold Cup.”

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Nicky Henderson is fearful of the challenge posed by his former inmate Khyber Kim (13/2) in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle – despite playing a three-strong hand with Punjabi (13/2), Zaynar (10/1) and Binocular (15/2).

Khyber Kim was stabled at Henderson’s Seven Barrows yard during his novice campaign in 2007-8 but has spent the last season and a half with Nigel Twiston-Davies.

And the eight-year-old has proved a revelation in his two most recent starts by claiming the scalps of the reopposing Medermit (11/1), Punjabi and Celestial Halo (13/2) over course and distance.

Henderson said:

“Khyber Kim is the horse I am most afraid of. I used to have him as a novice and I remember Mick Fitzgerald said at the time the horse could win a Champion Hurdle and an Ascot Gold Cup as he is that good.”

Barry Geraghty remains loyal to Punjabi, with Andrew Tinkler aboard last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar, who was turned over at long odds-on in his warm-up for the Festival.

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Firstly Binocular (10/1 with Bluesq) is out for the season with a muscle problem and now there is nothing wrong with him and McCoy says he has missed no work so the Champion Hurdle looks back on the cards.

It would appear he is now going to take his chance again which means that McCoy will be required to ride him.

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So Zaynar (15/2 with Bet365) could now be ridden by Andrew Tinkler, who won on him at Ascot, as Henderson stated Geraghty will almost certainly ride Punjabi.

He ran a disappointing trial at Kelso, but that was on unsuitably heavy ground and it’s probably best to put a line through that.

However, his trainer has always said that he’s a stayer and this old course is much speedier than the new one he won the Triumph on 12 months ago. The cheekpieces will be back on, but he is unlikely to have the tactical speed to live with the quickest in this race, so he’s another who will be doing all of his best work at the finish.

I still feel the each-way money will come for Punjabi (8/1 with William Hill) who is proving to be a popular selection on the Preview Evening circuit.

Last year’s Champion Hurdle winner has never received the plaudits he deserves and although he beat nothing at Kempton recently, he travelled and jumped well.

He takes his racing very well, is as genuine as they come and is probably a spring time horse nowadays. Some argue that last year’s Champion was a poor race and we will know soon enough if that was the case, but he has travelled like the best horse in every race since and punters have no doubt that he can last up the hill.

He is also only a seven-year-old so there is still plenty of scope for improvement.

In addition to Go Native (7/2 favourite with Ladbrokes) the quickening up of the ground is certainly in favour of Starluck, who won over a mile last week in his final prep, as that can help him last the trip out better.

He could potentially become one of the richest hurdlers ever if he wins this and lands the £1million bonus for connections. Noel Meade doesn’t have a great record at the Festival, but has kept this fellow fresh and he should arrive at Prestbury Park in top form.

The world and his wife seem to know that Go Native is going to cruise through the pack rounding the home bend, but the key question is will he do what his stablemate Harchibald couldn’t and put his nose in front on the line.

As well as Medermit, who Alan King is convinced is better on better ground, despite winning at Haydock on a testing surface but against Solwhit and Khyber Kim.

And what is it with lame horses this season? Sublimity was found to be lame on Saturday and now misses the race.

Only one Champion Hurdle prospect was in action during the last week where Binocular was the centre of attention and didn’t impress everybody when outclassing two inferior rivals at Sandown and McCoy came back and reported he is still not giving him the same feel as last season so maybe that hard race he endured in the Champion Hurdle has really taken the edge off him.

Nicky Henderson was more bullish than the jockey about his performance and two recent third-place finishers in the Champion Hurdle in Brave Inca and Punjabi has lifted the crown the following season so it can be done but I have to say that of the five horses priced at single-figures for the race, he would be vying for the one I least fancy alongside Khyber Kim.

The more and more I think about this race, although I feel our ante-post each-way interest Punjabi will run his usual good solid race, I am coming down to the thinking that Solwhit will win if it comes up on the soft side of good-to-soft and Go Native could defy the stats if it were to come up the other way round – those stats being the terrible record of the reigning Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Christmas Hurdle winner.

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With Philip Fenton finally confirming Dunguib to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, it doesn’t look like we will have any novice representation in this season’s race so it will be interesting to see if he is left in at the next forfeit stage to back up what they have said.

Matt Doyle, the Sky Bet horse racing betting spokesman, said:

‘We have Kauto Star as our clear 5-4 Gold Cup favourite, but can’t split Zaynar and Solwhit as 4-1 joint favourites in our Champion Hurdle market and the odds combined when enhanced should tempt in value seekers with firm views on both championship races.’

For those in the Denman camp, who expect the 2008 Gold Cup winner to take the title back from defending champion and stablemate Kauto Star, the price combined with reigning Champion Hurdler Punjabi for the double result is a tempting 45-1.

However, with last year’s Champion Hurdle form yet to be franked, last season’s top novices pose a serious threat and 2009 Supreme Novices’ winner Go Native, who is seeking a massive bonus after winning his last two trials, is 14-1 and 18-1 respectively to initiate the showpiece festival double with Kauto Star or Denman, a 7-4 second favourite with Sky Bet in their outright Gold Cup betting.

Sky Bet enhanced Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle prices:

Solwhit and Kauto Star 11-1

Zaynar and Kauto Star 11-1

Solwhit and Denman 14-1

Zaynar and Denman 14-1

Go Native and Kauto Star 14-1

Go Native and Denman 18-1

Binocular and Kauto Star 18-1

Binocular and Denman 22-1

Khyber Kim and Kauto Star 22-1

Khyber Kim and Denman 28-1

Medermit and Kauto Star 33-1

Punjabi and Kauto Star 33-1

Medermit and Denman 45-1

Punjabi and Denman 45-1

The £370,000 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle is the highlight of the first day of The Festival and the 2010 renewal has attracted 34 initial entries, of which a record 21 are trained in Ireland.

Defending his crown in the hurdling showpiece is Punjabi, who won by a neck from Celestial Halo in 2009 with Binocular a head back in third. Punjabi and Binocular form two thirds of the formidable trio entered by Nicky Henderson, with last year’s JCB Triumph Hurdle victor Zaynar another possible starter for Seven Barrows. If the Smufit Kappa Champion Hurdle were to go to a Henderson-trained runner in 2010, it would make him the joint most successful trainer ever in the contest with five victories, alongside Peter Easterby.

Heading the 21 Irish-trained entries is Go Native, last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero who is unbeaten on his last two outings in Grade One company, with victories in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. Go

Native’s trainer Noel Meade could also be represented by Donnas Palm, successful on his last three starts in lesser company and Muirhead, who chased home the Oliver Bradytrained Ebadiyan in a Listed contest at Naas yesterday.

Solwhit has won four of his last five starts, all of which have come in Grade One company, with his most recent triumph coming in the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 29, when he had the 2007 Champion Hurdle victor Sublimity in second and Hurricane Fly, a leading novice last season, back in third. The mare Voler La Vedette has landed five of her last six starts and had Go Native behind her when winning at Down Royal in November. She represents the Colm Murphy stable, successful with Brave Inca in 2006. Another possible female starter is Quevega, successful in the Grade Two David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at The Festival last season.

Probably the most intriguing entry is Dunguib. An outstanding winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at The Festival in 2009, the seven-year-old has recorded three effortless victories over hurdles this season. If he were to line up, he would be aiming to become the first novice to succeed since Alderbrook in 1995. However, connections have stated that his more likely target at The Festival is the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

One horse who seems totally at home around Cheltenham is Khyber Kim. The eight-year-old, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, came with a tremendous run from off the pace to land the Greatwood Hurdle at The Open on November 15 and returned to Cheltenham the following month to collect the Grade Two Boylepsports.com International, when he again came with a perfectly timed challenge and had Celestial Halo, last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle runner-up Medermit, Punjabi and Ebadiyan behind him.

Other interesting contenders include the 2008 Smurfit Champion Hurdle hero Katchit, who could bid to follow in the footsteps of Comedy Of Errors (1973 and 1975) by attempting to regain his crown and Starluck, last year’s JCB Triumph Hurdle fourth who went down by a short-head when a fast-finishing second behind Go Native in the Christmas Hurdle.

SMURFIT KAPPA CHAMPION HURDLE RESULTS

2009-

WINNER-PUNJABI 6-11-10 Owner-Raymond Tooth; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Barry Geraghty; SP-22/1

2ND-Celestial Halo 5-11-10 Owner-The Stewart Family; Trainer-Paul Nicholls; Jockey-Ruby Walsh; SP-17/2

3RD-Binocular 5-11-10 Owner-J P McManus; Trainer-Nicky Henderson; Jockey-Tony McCoy; SP-6/4 Fav

23 ran, Time-4m 0.90s; Dist- nk, hd

Heading the challenge from across the Irish Sea is the Noel Meade-trained Go Native, who is seeking a second win at The Festival having triumphed in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last season. The seven-year-old has already plundered two of Britain’s tophurdling prizes this season, following up a comfortable victory in the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November with a hard-fought success over Starluck in the Grade One Christmas Hurdle at Kempton the following month.

Solwhit was third behind Go Native at Newcastle but the Charles Byrnes-trained six-year-old recorded a third Grade One victory when defeating the 2007 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle victor Sublimity in the Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle. Both horses are set to re-oppose in this weekend’s Irish Champion Hurdle, where they could meet the progressive Donnas Palm, who landed the Grade Two Tara Hurdle on his latest appearance.

Voler La Vedette has been forced to miss her intended engagement in the Irish Champion Hurdle but the talented six-yearold, a 13-length winner over Go Native in a Grade Three Hurdle at Down Royal in November, may bid to become the first mare to land the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle since Flakey Dove in 1994.

A trio of entries from the stable of Willie Mullins includes last season’s David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle heroine Quevega, while Philip Fenton has given an entry to the exciting novice Dunguib, who sauntered to a 10-length success in last year’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper and was an equally impressive winner of the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle on his latest start.

The home defence is set to be headed by last year’s JCB Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar, who has posted two impressive Grade Two victories so far this season including a facile six-length verdict in the Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham’s Boylesports International in December.

A horse with a 100 per cent record at Cheltenham this season is Khyber Kim, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies. The eightyear- old came with a tremendous run from way off the pace to land the Greatwood Hurdle at The Open in November and then successfully stepped up in class to land one of the leading trials for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, the Boylesports.com International, in December when he had Celestial Halo, Medermit, Punjabi and Ebadiyan in arrears. If successful on March 16, Khyber Kim would collect a £200,000 bonus from Boylesports for winning both the Boylesports.com International and the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

As well as Zaynar, Nicky Henderson could also be represented by last year’s winner Punjabi as well as Binocular, who was a close third in the same race. The latter, owned by J P McManus, was fifth behind Go Native on his seasonal return in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle but ran a better race to be third behind the Noel Meade-trained gelding at Kempton, when he went down by just over a length in total.

Frank Berry, racing manager to J P McManus, reported: “Binocular is still on course for the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown on February 6 and Nicky is very happy with him at the moment. He came out of the Christmas Hurdle in good shape and I thought that he ran a cracker there – he wasn’t beaten too far and it was a much better performance than Newcastle.

“We didn’t have any real excuses at Kempton so he has a little to find on Go Native on the formbook. We will get Sandown out of the way before focusing on The Festival but he looks in good form at the moment and we couldn’t be happier with him.”

The famous green and gold silks, carried to victory in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle on three occasions by the mighty Istabraq, may also be sported by French import Rock Noir, who recently joined the stable of Jonjo O’Neill after rattling off five consecutive wins at Auteuil for Marcel Rolland last year. On his latest start, the five-year-old got the better of Jumbo Rio in a thrilling finish to the Grade One Prix Renaud du Vivier in November.

Berry added: “Rock Noir hasn’t been back in training for very long and we would need to get a run into him before Cheltenham before deciding whether to go for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle. He has settled in well at Jonjo’s but we haven’t got any firm plans for him at the minute.

“His form in France is very good and it will be interesting to see how he stacks up against the English horses when he does run.” Other notable contenders include last year’s runner-up Celestial Halo, who is set to start in Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, the 2008 champion Katchit, and Medermit, who found only Go Native a neck too strong in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

I will make this easy though for win-only bets and home in on one very powerful statistic – 22 of the last 25 winners won last time out.

On this basis, for win-only betting material I am only considering Ashkazar, Binocular, Celestial Halo, Ebaziyan, Harchibad, and Sentry Duty

Of that remaining sextet, I would be against Ebaziyan and Harchibald as they will not figure in the first six in the betting like every winner bar one since 1990 but the others will or may.

Gun to the head and it would be Binocular but if he is too skinny price, then Ashkazar would be of interest and I also feel Punjabi is overpriced.

Kalahari King, who is (8/1) for the 2010 Champion Chase, is on course to make his seasonal reappearance at Doncaster next month.

The nine-year-old enjoyed a superb campaign as a novice chaser, finishing second in the Arkle Trophy, winning a Grade One at Aintree before chasing home Twist Magic in the Celebration Chase at Sandown.

His return to action has been delayed by a splint problem, but trainer Ferdy Murphy is delighted with his current condition.

The Flying Scotsman Handicap Chase at Doncaster on February 6 remains his comeback target.

Graham (Lee) is very happy with where he is at the moment, although obviously we need to get some more good work to him in the next week or so”, said Murphy.

The Doncaster race is very much the plan for him at this stage and we’ve still got a month to go until then so hopefully he’ll be ready to go.

It’s probably not the ideal race for him but we have to get him out somewhere and we’ll take it from there.

Long-term, Murphy is keen to let his French import line up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

We’d like to have a go at the Champion Chase and he’s entitled to have a go,” the trainer continued.

There have been one or two chinks in one or two of the others and it often works out that way.

We can just sit back and work away and we’ll see what happens.

He’s been second in an Arkle, second in a Celebration Chase and won a Grade One, so he deserves his chance.

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