Cheltenham Festival: Yanworth ready to silence critics in the Champion Hurdle

  The absence of Faugheen and Annie Power, the last two winners, makes for a wide open and weak renewal of the Cheltenham Festival's £400,000 two-mile showpiece.

King's stable star Yanworth leads the market in the 12 strong race but many believe he is vulnerable, with armchair critics quick to crab his sometimes sketchy and enthusiastic jumping technique.

Other trainers certainly seem to believe he is exposed. Nicky Henderson diverted Buveur D'Air from his novice chase season to return to hurdling while former Champion Bumper winner Moon Racer has been redirected from the Supreme Novices', for which he was a strong fancy.

In addition last year's stand out novice hurdlers, Altior and Yorkhill, have both been sent chasing.

But King remains steadfast in the belief Yanworth can deliver his best result since Katchit won the race nine years ago and secure a 16th Festival winner for his Banbury Castle operation.

His only defeat in eight starts over hurdles was when second to Yorkhill in last year's Neptune, a head-to-head it could be argued he would have won had jockey Barry Geraghty not raced so wide.

With Geraghty out injured, Irish rising star Mark Walsh takes the saddle hoping to finally win his first Cheltenham race.

And he has reasons to be optimistic with Yanworth claiming Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle with authority, only to produce a laboured performance to win his final preparation race at Wincanton.

"It's time for him to do the talking now but Cheltenham really suits him," said King.

"What more can he do? He's had an unbeaten season and he's produced some cracking pieces of work at home and he's in the best place physically.

"I don't know Mark at all but he's a very good rider and the best replacement for Barry. He came over and schooled him over 12 hurdles last week and he's never jumped quicker or slicker and I couldn't ask for more.

"I've made it clear all the way through that he is not a speed horse, but unfortunately the races at Kempton and Wincanton were the only ones we could go for.

"The one thing I liked about him at Wincanton was that when he passed the line he had his ears pricked and that’s a very good sign.

"He is in the best form I've had him in all season, whether that is good enough to win a Champion Hurdle, we’ll see but he will certainly be in the mix."

Henderson is three-handed in the race and while Buveur D'Air is strongly backed, there must be a preference for Brain Power, who will relish the good to soft racing ground that is traditional at the Festival.

Indeed it was somewhat telling when Henderson hosted his pre-Cheltenham stable tour that he spoke much much about the latter than the former.

"It's not that Buveur D'Air can't go on good ground, he just really loves it soft," he said.

"Brain Power is very talented but this is a big step up from handicap up to a Grade One. He likes to race when fresh, will get that better ground and is going the right way."

Irish trainers have won five of the last six races but the absence of Mullin's stars means Henry de Bromhead's Petit Mouchoir, winner of the Irish Champion Hurdle, is their best challenger.

It's six years since he trained Sizing Europe to win the Champion Chase but he's enjoying his best season since taking out a training licence in 1999.

"He has had a fantastic season already. I would never be overly confident, but he is in good form and I would be hoping for a good run,” he said.

Sportsbeat 2017