Classy hurdler Go Native is unlikely to be seen on the racecourse until after Christmas, according to legendary trainer Noel Meade.

Go Native has been ruled out for the rest of the season after returning home "very sore" following his disappointing Champion Hurdle display.

Nick Wilby takes a look at the 2010 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

Go Native is 10/3 favourite with Sky Bet for the Champion Hurdle following Sunday’s 48-hour declaration stage.

The Noel Meade-trained Go Native heads a list of 12 horses who stood their ground at the 48 declaration stage for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

Voler La Vedette is 7/4 from 9/4 for next week’s David Nicholson Mares Only Hurdle.

The wait for the 2010 Cheltenham Festival is almost over and while connections of all the leading horses put the finishing touches to their preparations, what are the punters doing ahead of the world’s most scintillating sports meeting?

Go Native has a shot of landing the £1m WBX bonus by completing the Fighting Fifth/Christmas/Champion Hurdle hat-trick, but he has plenty of challengers in a wide-open race.

Sky Bet offer 11/8 for an Irish-trained winner of the Champion Hurdle after another humiliating whitewash for the Gaelic raiders last year.

Stan James have cut Go Native from 7/2 to 11/4 and pushed out Solwhit from 7/2 to 5s in light of the news that the latter has scoped badly and may well miss the race."

With four of the last six winners returning at double-figure odds, finding the winner of the Champion Hurdle seems to get harder and harder, and this year's renewal is no exception.

Noel Meade has expressed his concern at Cheltenham racecourse’s decision to begin watering ahead of their Festival next week.

2010 Champion Hurdle contender Solwhit may be forced to miss his trip to the 2010 Cheltenham Festival after the Irish raider scoped dirty on Monday morning.

Go Native is the 3-1 (from 4-1) favourite with Coral for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, following the news that Solwhit, who had been the 7-2 market leader, is not certain to line up next week.

The wait for this year’s Cheltenham Festival is almost over and Boylesports are beginning to unleash some of their specials ahead of the world’s greatest horse racing meeting.

Nicky Henderson expects Barry Geraghty to remain loyal to Punjabi and ride him rather than Zaynar in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

The Cheltenham Festival is now just three weeks away and the atmosphere ahead of the world’s most prestigious race meeting is beginning to reach fever pitch.

Noel Meade will give Go Native one final workout at Leopardstown on Sunday week ahead of his date with destiny in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 16.

The Noel Meade trained Go Native, who won last year’s williamhill.com Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, is one of Ireland’s leading chances for this year’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

Noel Meade is preparing for the Cheltenham Festival and has decided to step up Go Native's work as the superstar eyes a potential £1million bonus at next month’s Festival.

Nicky Henderson will be hoping to see the real Binocular when the horse heads to Sandown on Saturday.

Connections of Solwhit were not the only people left delighted after the superstar landed the Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday.

Sunday's Irish Champion Hurdle winner Solwhit is 6-4 with Coral to start favourite for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, a position he currently holds with the Barking firm.  Zaynar, the 4-1 second favourite, is 13-8 to be sent off favourite in March, ahead of Go Native, 4-1 to be market

Charles Byrnes' six-year-old is the 6.2 favourite after Sunday success at Leopardstown

Trainer Colm Murphy seems to be swaying towards running Voler La Vedette in the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

Trainer Alan King has admitted that he believes Saturday's sportingbet.com Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock is the perfect race for his Cheltenham Festival hopeful Medermit.

Connections of leading Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle hope Go Native are counting down the days until they get a shot at a £1million bonus at Cheltenham.

Zaynar is the 9/2 favourite with totesport for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after the entries for the two-mile event were revealed this afternoon.

The highlight of the first day’s racing at the Festival is the Champion Hurdle, the Grade one showpiece run over two miles that often confirms who is the champion of the hurdling division.