He goes well fresh so first time out might the best time to catch him and the price is right.
Only seven runners go to post for this Saturday's Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle (1.50), but it's still a fascinating contest nevertheless and one that will have a significant bearing on the Champion Hurdle market.
The current first and second favourites - Binocular and Solwhit - are set to clash, while the presence of 2007 Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity and multiple Grade 1-winning hurdler Al Eile ensures this is no match, although the betting suggests otherwise. Bookmakers are unanimous in making Binocular favourite at around evens (William Hill, Coral) with Solwhit at 13/8 (Stan James), while it's 12/1 bar those two.
Binocular started favourite for last year's Champion on the back of an impressive display at Ascot in December, when beating the useful Celestial Halo by four and a half lengths. In the big race, he just lost out in a driving finish to the same horse and the winner Punjabi. That's the best form on offer here and as he's still only five, there might be more improvement to come. Over his ideal trip of 2m and with his stable going great guns, he's sure to be hard to beat.
Solwhit will be no pushover, though. The Irish raider rattled off a hat-trick of Grade 1 wins last season, including when beating Punjabi narrowly at Punchestown in May, and is clearly still improving judging by his performance back there last month when beating Muirhead and, more notably, Hurricane Fly. He needs to improve again to beat Binocular but that's not impossible and he does have the benefit of a run.
It's odds-on that one of them will win but, at the prices, the better bet is SUBLIMITY (12/1 Paddy Power). He was beaten only a head by Punjabi in last year's renewal - form which puts him right there with Solwhit - and is reported to be better than ever by trainer Robbie Hennessy, who was sounding quietly confident when being interviewed on attheraces this week. He goes well fresh so first time out might the best time to catch him and the price is right.
Looking further ahead, the winner is sure to have their Champion Hurdle odds trimmed a point or two. As I fancy Sublimity, he's tempting in the outright market at 50/1 (Stan James), but it's hard to imagine him beating Zaynar (7/1 Skybet), who really impressed me when winning at Ascot last weekend. Last season's Triumph Hurdle winner jumped brilliantly and quickened clear of some really good horses and, if in the same sort of form come March, it's hard to imagine him being out of the frame.
Latest Champion Hurdle best prices: Binocular 7/2 (bet365), Solwhit (5/1 Coral), Hurricane Fly (11/2 Paddy Power), Zaynar 7/1 (Skybet), Celestial Halo 8/1 (Ladbrokes).
Recommended Bet:
Sublimity 1pt @ 12/1 Paddy Power
