Champion Hurdle: Binocular team mull next destination

The Cheltenham Festival / Timeform / 03 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Connections will attempt to find Binocular an alternative race.

"We have a few options, but we can't say for definite which way he's going yet..."

Connections of Binocular will have to go back to the drawing board after the abandonment of Saturday's card at Sandown...

The 2010 Champion Hurdle winner had been set to take in the Contenders Hurdle as part of his preparation for next month's Cheltenham Festival, a Listed prize he has secured for the past two seasons.

But with the fixture beaten by the cold snap, Nicky Henderson will have to find his classy hurdler an alternative prep race in the next week or two.

The Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran Park in Ireland, the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton and the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso are all potential destinations.

"Is it stands at the moment, I don't know where he'll run," said owner JP McManus' racing manager Frank Berry.

"We're going to have to wait and see what happens with the weather. We have a few options, but we can't say for definite which way he's going yet.

"The weather is going to be important, so we'll see which way it goes."

Binocular, rated 167 by Timeform, is currently trading at [14.0] for the Champion Hurdle, behind favourite Hurricane Fly ([1.99]), Grandouet ([9.6]) and the Paul Nicholls-trained Zarkandar ([11.0]).