Native leads Champion dozen
Noel Meade’s charge is seeking the bumper payout after winning both the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdles this term, with betting firm WBX.com putting up the extra prize for completing the hat-trick.
Fellow Irish raider Solwhit is his main market rival and he has been declared by trainer Charles Byrnes despite suffering a minor setback over the last week.
Nicky Henderson saddles reigning champion Punjabi along with last year’s third Binocular and 2009 Triumph Hurdle hero Zaynar.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls relies on last year’s runner-up Celestial Halo with the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Khyber Kim and Alan King’s Medermit also prominent in the betting.
Starluck represents Alan Fleming with Edward O’Grady’s Jumbo Rio, the Sabrina Harty-trained Won In The Dark and Joanna Morgan’s Raise Your Heart, who has been running on the Flat in Dubai, completing the line-up.
Donnas Palm, Ebadiyan and Muirhead were the three withdrawals at the final declaration stage.
Owner JP McManus meanwhile is “very excited” at the prospect of Binocular running.
“AP (McCoy) said he rode him on Friday morning and was very happy, the horse gave him a great feel.
“I must say I’m very excited by Binocular,” McManus told Channel Four Racing.
