Trainer Nicky Henderson can strengthen his Champion Huddle hand when PUNJABI returns in the re-arranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Wetherby on Saturday (due off 1.50pm).

The five-year-old was a good juvenile hurdler two seasons back, winning twice before running respectably behind Katchit in the Triumph Hurdle and in a Grade 1 at Aintree. However, his form improved out of all recognition last spring. After running second off a big weight in the Totesport Trophy, he ran third in the Champion Hurdle before enjoying his finest hour in the Irish equivalent at Punchestown, beating his main rival on Saturday, Sublimity, by three lengths.

After a couple of winning spins on the flat this summer, he took a well-deserved break, so he’ll be making his reappearance here. However, that’s not a worry as he can go well fresh and connections will be ultra keen to win this race as it’s the first leg of WBX.com’s (the sponsors) £1million winning bonus treble - the other races being the Christmas Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle. What’s more, his stable remains in flying form.

As he’s still only five, it's unlikely we’ve seen the best of him over hurdles, which can’t necessarily be said of Sublimity (11/4 Stan James). The Robert Hennessy-trained eight-year-old was Champion Hurdler in 2007 and finished fourth this year (just behind Punjabi) after an interrupted preparation. If fully wound up for this, he’d be a big danger to the selection, but that’s not a given and he’d be the first Champion Hurdle winner to win this race since Beech Road in 1990.

Looking further ahead, I see Punjabi is 14/1 with Chandler for the big one in March, but he faces stiff enough competition from his stablemate and ante post favourite Binocular (4.9 Betfair), who impressed last week at Haydock, so I’m content with backing him to win Saturday’s race for now. On the day, I doubt he'll be much bigger than the current 8/11 (bet365, Blue Square).

Recommended Bet:

Punjabi 4pts @ 8/11 bet365, Blue Square