PREVIOUS winners Faugheen and Annie Power star among 28 entries for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
Faugheen (2015) and Annie Power (2016), headline 28 entries, the highest level since 2013. There are 13 Irish-trained runners engaged.
Faugheen led home a one-two-three for Ireland's champion jump trainer Willie Mullins in 2015, but was unable to defend his crown last year due to a tendon injury. Annie Power, who also carries the colours of Susannah Ricci, stepped in to become the first mare since Flakey Dove in 1994 to win the two-mile hurdling championship.
Sponsor Stan James makes Faugheen its 2/1 favourite, with Annie Power next best at 5/1. Both horses are yet to run this season with Faugheen a possible for the BHP Insurances Hurdle at Leopardstown in two weeks’ time..
Mullins has nine entries in total as he bids for a record-equalling fifth success in the Stan James Champion Hurdle. His hand is strengthened by seven-time Grade 1 victor and last year's third Nichols Canyon (25/1 with Stan James), 2016 OLBG Mares' Hurdle winner Vroum Vroum Mag (16/1), who is also entered in the three championship chases, and 2015 County Hurdle scorer Wicklow Brave (33/1), successful in the Grade 1 Irish St Leger on the flat in September. Galway Hurdle winner Clondaw Warrior (50/1), Diakali (40/1), Ivan Grozny (40/1) and Footpad (50/1) are also engaged.
The other four Irish-trained entries feature 2014 Stan James Champion Hurdle victor Jezki (Jessica Harrington, 40/1), Petit Mouchoir (Henry De Bromhead, 8/1), who thrashed Nichols Canyon by eight lengths in a Grade 1 contest at Leopardstown over Christmas, and Grade 1 Hatton's Grace Hurdle heroine Apple's Jade (Gordon Elliott, 25/1) and Ivanovich Gorbatov, a first runner for Joseph O’Brien.
The leading British-trained challenger is Yanworth (Alan King, 5/1) after his three and a quarter-length victory over The New One (Nigel Twiston-Davies, 25/1), in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park.
Yanworth has won six of his seven starts over hurdles, with his sole defeat coming at the hands of Yorkhill in last year's Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.
Nicky Henderson has enjoyed five Champion Hurdles wins, more than any other current trainer, and his five 2017 contenders are headed by Brain Power (12/1), who may be the mount of David Mullins. The progressive six-year-old has a rating of 162 following a five-length success in a valuable Grade 3 handicap hurdle at Ascot just before Christmas. My Tent Or Yours (50/1), runner-up in both 2014 and 2016, Buveur D'Air (33/1), L'Ami Serge (33/1) and Top Notch (40/1) complete his hand.
An unknown quantity among the entries is Cyrus Darius (50/1), who has a 100% record over obstacles. Trained by Malcolm Jefferson, the eight-year-old is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles including a 10-length demolition of his rivals in the 2015 Grade 2 Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree's Grand National Festival. Cyrus Darius has not raced since scoring on his chasing debut at Perth in September, 2015.
Other Stan James Champion Hurdle contenders include last year's County Hurdle winner Superb Story, 16/1), one of three horses entered by Dan Skelton, Stan James Elite Hurdle victor Sceau Royal (Alan King, 33/1) and Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite Moon Racer (David Pipe, 33/1).
Brett Williams, PR spokesperson for StanJames.com, said: "We are delighted with the 28 entries for the Stan James Champion Hurdle, the final leg in our Road To Cheltenham series.
"With the previous three winners, Annie Power, Faugheen and Jezki, among the possible contenders along with last season's exciting novice Yanworth, this year's contest has maintained its status as the premier hurdle race in the horseracing calendar and is shaping up to be real corker.
"It is also great to see Stan James Jump ambassador Nicky Henderson with strong entries including the improving Brain Power and L'Ami Serge, not to mention the admirable My Tent Or Yours,
"Stan James is extremely proud to once again support jump racing's hurdling crown and look forward to seeing the how the shape of the race develops over the coming weeks."
Stan James Champion Hurdle - Stan James prices: 2/1 Faugheen; 5/1 Annie Power, Yanworth; 8/1 Petit Mouchoir; 12/1 Brain Power; 16/1 Vroum Vroum Mag, Superb Story; 25/1 The New One, Nichols Canyon, Apple's Jade; 33/1 Wicklow Brave, L'Ami Serge, Buveir D'Air, Sceau Royal, Moon Racer; 40/1 Jezki, Top Notch, Diakali, Ivan Grozny; 50/1 Gwafa, Clyne, My Tent Or Yours, Ch'tibello, Cyrus Darius, Ivanovich Gorbatov, Clondaw Warrior; 66/1 Mister Miyagi, Footpad
STAN JAMES CHAMPION HURDLE
Grade 1, £400,000 Total Prize Fund. Cheltenham, 3.30pm, Tuesday, March 14, two miles and half a furlong (2m 87yds). Scratchings deadline February 14, £20,000 supplementary stage & six-day confirmation stage March 8th.
Horse Age Owner Trainer
ANNIE POWER (IRE) 9 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
APPLE'S JADE (FR) 5 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
BRAIN POWER (IRE) 6 Michael Buckley Nicky Henderson
BUVEUR D'AIR (FR) 6 J P McManus Nicky Henderson
CH'TIBELLO (FR) 6 The Can't Say No Partnership Dan Skelton
CLONDAW WARRIOR (IRE) 10 Act D Wagg Syndicate Willie Mullins IRE
CLYNE 7 David M Williams Evan Williams
CYRUS DARIUS 8 Mr & Mrs G Calder & P M Warren Malcolm Jefferson
DIAKALI (FR) 8 Wicklow Bloodstock (Ireland) Ltd Willie Mullins IRE
FAUGHEEN (IRE) 9 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
FOOTPAD (FR) 5 Simon Munir/Isaac Souede Willie Mullins IRE
GWAFA (IRE) 6 Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar Paul Webber
IVAN GROZNY (FR) 7 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE
IVANOVICH GORBATOV (IRE) 5 J P McManus Joseph O'Brien IRE
JEZKI (IRE) 9 J P McManus Jessica Harrington IRE
L'AMI SERGE (IRE) 7 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
MISTER MIYAGI (IRE) 8 Ben Turner & Jay Tabb Dan Skelton
MOON RACER (IRE) 8 Professor Caroline Tisdall & Bryan Drew David Pipe
MY TENT OR YOURS (IRE) 10 J P McManus Nicky Henderson
NICHOLS CANYON 7 Andrea & Graham Wylie Willie Mullins IRE
PETIT MOUCHOIR (FR) 6 Gigginstown House Stud Henry de Bromhead IRE
SCEAU ROYAL (FR) 5 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Alan King
SUPERB STORY (IRE) 6 A Holt, J Robinson, A Taylor & S Miller Dan Skelton
THE NEW ONE (IRE) 9 S Such & C G Paletta Nigel Twiston-Davies
TOP NOTCH (FR) 6 Simon Munir & Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
VROUM VROUM MAG (FR) 8 Susannah Ricci Willie Mullins IRE
WICKLOW BRAVE 8 Wicklow Bloodstock (Ireland) Ltd Willie Mullins IRE
YANWORTH 7 J P McManus Alan King
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