Hobbs gives Booster the go-ahead
The 2003 Champion Hurdle winner, trained by Philip Hobbs, carried the same weight 11st 12lb to victory in the corresponding race two seasons ago.
"It is very much the plan to run him," said Hobbs.
"He'll take his chance. At the end of the day obviously it's a tough order with top weight, but hopefully it will put him right for the Bula Hurdle, which is a month after."
Terry Warner's popular grey heads a field of 17 left in the £70,000 contest over an extended two miles at yesterday's confirmation stage.
And he is one of three previous winners standing their ground in this Grade Three contest.
Rigmarole sprung a 33-1 surprise 12 months ago but showed that was no fluke by winning the Bula and Kingwell Hurdles later in the season. He has 11st 5lb this time, compared to 11st 12lb when he won.
His trainer Paul Nicholls has also left in Sporazene, who fell in a novice chase at Exeter last week, and Perouse.
The latter had his better-fancied stablemate Rigmarole well beaten in sixth when making a winning seasonal debut at Wincanton on Saturday, for which he will carry a 6lb penalty.
Westender (11st 3lb) took this prize three years ago under 10st 13lb, when Rooster Booster was only fifth.
The eight-year-old is one of two possibles from Martin Pipe's yard, the other being Copeland.
Three Irish-trained horses still in the list are Edward O'Grady's Back In Front, Accordion Etoile from Paul Nolan's yard and the Noel Meade-trained Power Elite.
Other interesting possibles include Trouble At Bay, who finished second to Rigmarole at Kempton last month, and Howard Johnson's Dalaram.
He won the Free Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow last month.
