Time to zoom in on 8-1 Binocular

UP THE ANTE with KEITH McHUGH

UP The Ante returns this week with a look at arguably the trickiest race at this season’s Cheltenham Festival.

The world and his wife are aware that the Gold Cup is a match between superstar chasers Kauto Star and Denman, but that scenario is in complete contrast to the Champion Hurdle which could go to any one of nine or 10 horses.

The big-race picture should become a little less murky during the next few weeks when many of the big trials will be staged.

Reigning champion Punjabi is in action at Haydock on Saturday, while the following day’s racing in Ireland sees a clash between Solwhit and Celestial Halo.

Binocular and Zaynar, trained like Punjabi by Nicky Henderson, will have prep runs at Sandown and Kelso respectively next month, but the likes of Khyber Kim and Go Native are expected to go straight to Cheltenham.

The aim of this column is to be ahead of the odds and, having already selected Zaynar at 7-1 (now 5s) and Voler La Vedette at 33-1 (now 20s) we are in a nice position.

But for those of you who have not played your hand, where does the value lie in the current ante-post market?

I will come to the hurdler I reckon is overpriced in due course, but any one who has backed Zaynar at the bigger price should be quite content as this horse remains unbeaten and seems to have everything going for him.

The only question mark is whether he will have enough toe to counter the finishing kicks of two-mile specialists and even Henderson admits to being in the dark on this subject.

That said, Zaynar was fast enough to win last season’s Triumph Hurdle, so you have to afford him maximum respect, especially as there is every reason to believe he remains on the upgrade.

Solwhit is a solid horse who was compromised by a crawl in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle before bouncing back to win at Leopardstown last time.

He may well be the new favourite if he wins the Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday, but his odds of 6-1 are not great and there is better value elsewhere.

Celestial Halo will be much shorter than his current price of 10-1 if he beats Solwhit at Leopardstown and should not judged too harshly on his defeat at the hands of Khyber Kim at Cheltenham last time.

Last year’s Champion Hurdle second ballooned the last hurdle that day and you can be sure that Paul Nicholls will have him primed to run the race of his life in March.

Punjabi (10-1) has little to beat at Haydock on Saturday so has more to lose than to gain and if you fancy the reigning champion I am pretty sure he will be trading at around the same price on Champion Hurdle day.

Khyber Kim is the mystery horse of the contest, having shown vastly-improved form to win two top-class races at Cheltenham in the autumn.

A change of training routine under the guidance of Nigel Twiston-Davies has brought the best out of this talented, but previously-inconsistent performer and, if he were to put his best foot forward in March, he would outrun his odds of 11-1.

There is no need for us to get involved with Voler La Vedette at her current price, but a slight training setback is a nuisance we could do without so close to the big race.

Connections of star novice Dunguib (16-1) insist their horse remains on course for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, while Starluck’s best chance of a big-race win came in last month’s Christmas Hurdle at Kempton in which he was narrowly beaten by Go Native.

That race posed more questions than answers, but I am pretty sure that the best horse finished third.

Go Native travelled well, but found little when let down and 6-1 for the Champion Hurdle makes zero appeal, a remark which also applies to the 16-1 on offer for Starluck.

But Binocular, who finished on the heels of the front two at Kempton, could be a completely different proposition in March and I firmly believe he is the value bet for the big race at current odds of 8-1 (generally available).

This horse was a tip-top novice hurdler and looked brilliant when crushing Celestial Halo at Ascot last season.

An interrupted preparation was blamed for his narrow defeat in last year’s Champion Hurdle and there were valid excuses for his two defeats at Newcastle and Kempton this season.

The Fighting Fifth was a crawl which did not suit his slick jumping, while a rare hurdling error at Kempton almost saw him come down three flights from home.

Henderson is unshakeable in his faith in Binocular and, from what I have heard and read, the trainer believes him to be superior to Zaynar and Punjabi.

If that is the case and Tony McCoy rides him with a little more patience at Cheltenham, then he is going to be the one they all have to beat.

When you bear in mind he was sent off the 6-4 favourite for last year’s Champion Hurdle, he looks a hugely-attractive price.

I am not suggesting Binocular is a good thing, but at this stage his is clearly the stand-out quote in the betting market.