Nicky Henderson has singled out Hurricane Fly as the biggest threat to Binocular ahead of the 2011 Stan James Champion Hurdle. (credit: Carine06)
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Nicky Henderson has singled out Hurricane Fly as the biggest threat to Binocular ahead of the 2011 Stan James Champion Hurdle.
The trainer is looking forward to saddling Binocular at this month's Cheltenham Festival and the reigning Champion Hurdler is the bookie’s favourite to defend his crown in the opening day feature.
Henderson has won the race on five different occasions but this year’s opposition looks particularly formidable and the trainer is wary of the threat of some of Binocular’s market rivals.
"Since Newbury I would have said Peddlers Cross would always be one of our main dangers as I thought that race was good, even though we knew we had a lot of improvement to come," explained Henderson.
"But I think Hurricane Fly would be the one I'd probably fear the most. He has always looked good. He wasn't there last year but he has to be the best of the Irish. It's certainly very open and I think they are very good."
Binocular was unimpressive when winning the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown this season, but had previously starred in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and Henderson continued: "I think as long as he's at the level he was last year, he'll certainly take a lot of beating. He wasn't everyone's cup of tea at Sandown and I don't know why he was like that.
"He's been looked at from head to toe, like all of them, and everybody is giving him complete ticks all across the line."
