RACING:NICKY HENDERSON has nominated the Willie Mullins-trained Hurricane Fly as the biggest threat to Binocular in his defence of the Stan James Champion Hurdle.
Having won the Cheltenham two-mile title on no fewer than five occasions, including for the last two years, there is no one more qualified than Henderson to cast his eye over the field.
While he fears Peddlers Cross, who beat Binocular on his first start of the season in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newbury, the Irish ace Hurricane Fly has caught his eye after winning all three outings this term.
“Since Newbury I would have said Peddlers Cross would always be one of our main dangers as I thought that race was good, even though we knew we had a lot of improvement to come,” said Henderson.
“But I think Hurricane Fly would be the one I’d probably fear the most. He has always looked good. He wasn’t there last year but he has to be the best of the Irish. It’s certainly very open and I think they are very good.”
Binocular has again had a slightly perplexing season. He was beaten on his first two runs in the winter of 2009 and just scraped home in the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown before returning to his imperious best in the Champion.
However, he had been revitalised by a mini-break at the stud of his owner, JP McManus, in Limerick before the festival. This season he won the Christmas Hurdle in fine fashion but was similarly unimpressive in the same event at Sandown.
“I think as long as he’s at the level he was last year, he’ll certainly take a lot of beating,” Henderson said. “He wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea at Sandown and I don’t know why he was like that. He’s been looked at from head to toe, like all of them, and everybody is giving him complete ticks all across the line.”
Henderson will have at least one more shot at the race, all but confirming the participation of the up-and-coming Oscar Whisky.
He continued: “Barry Geraghty has been saying, ‘You’re not sure he doesn’t need three miles?’, but he’s got a lot of speed. He has to go further eventually and I’d be happy for him to do so, but I think he’ll go for the Champion Hurdle.
“His big day of the year was the Welsh Champion Hurdle and I wish there was a race at Cheltenham over two-and-a-half, as that’s where he would be going.”
n In Compliance showed he is no back number with an excellent front-running display in the Cashel Chase at Thurles yesterday.
The 11-year-old was considered a realistic Cheltenham Gold Cup contender a few years ago but his career has been plagued by injury.
Sporting blinkers for the first time, the 13 to 2 chance jumped boldly for Paddy Flood and held a big lead heading down the back straight.
Odds-on favourite Quiscover Fontaine made inroads and looked a major danger turning for home, but his crashing fall at the second-last left In Compliance clear. The Dessie Hughes inmate was spring-heeled at the final obstacle and stayed on all the way to the line to score by 18 lengths from Rock Street.
Hidden Cyclone (13 to 8) continued his fine campaign with victory in the Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle. John Hanlon’s six-year-old had already struck twice in Graded company this season and was always travelling kindly in the hands of Andrew McNamara, running out a two-and-a-half-length winner from Pineau De Re.
