Champion jockey Tony McCoy believes that Binocular will have to improve if he is going to defend his title in the stanjanes.com Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival this March.

The superstar bounced back to form in the William Hill Christmas Hurdle at Kempton but McCoy believes that Nicky Henderson’s hurdler will have to improve again if he is to hold off the likes of Hurricane Fly and Peddlers Cross at the Festival.

McCoy did admit he was thrilled with Binocular’s victory at Kempton and explained:  "I was thrilled. It was a long way off his Champion Hurdle form but a progression from what he achieved at Newbury. When I rode him there he was very fresh, I rode him with a lot more restraint and I did that because it was his first run and he was keen. I wanted to do the right thing for the horse.

"At Kempton it was the kind of ground that I'm sure not a lot of horses like and I thought it was best to ride him handier. He'd have an easier race as he wouldn't have to make up the ground on that ground. I knew Overturn was a pretty good yardstick too so I didn't see any reason to leave him off either.

"Binocular is obviously a good horse, it was a progression from Newbury and I was pretty pleased. It was not by any means Champion Hurdle form but it was definitely better than it was at Newbury."