Binocular tops strong Irish contingent for Fifth Hurdle

Last season’s Champion Hurdle third Binocular heads a field of seven declared for Saturday’s WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.

The five-year-old, who is owned by JP McManus, will bid to give trainer Nicky Henderson back-to-back victories following the success of Punjabi 12 months ago.

Andy Turnell’s Blue Bajan is the only other British-trained horse left in the line-up.

Leading a strong Irish contingent is Charles Byrnes’ Solwhit, who defeated Punjabi at Punchestown in May and made a winning reappearance there two weeks ago.

The 2007 Champion Hurdle victor Sublimity, trained by Robbie Hennessy, John Queally’s Al Eile, Noel Meade’s Go Native and Sabrina Harty’s Won In The Dark make up the raiding party from across the Irish Sea.

Muirhead and Cape Tribulation were the only two withdrawals at the final declaration stage.