English/Ire
The New Lion heads nine Champion Hurdle entries
Dan Skelton’s The New Lion will face a potential eight rivals as he bids to provide the trainer with his first success in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.
The JP McManus-owned hurdler suffered the same fate as the absent Constitution Hill when falling on his reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, but he got back on track with victory in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Trials day and will now return to Prestbury Park looking to claim the ultimate two-mile prize.
He looks set to face defending champion Golden Ace, who despite running out a somewhat fortuitous winner thanks to the falls of Constitution Hill and State Man twelve months ago, will head to Cheltenham having chased home the sidelined Sir Gino in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Paul Nicholls mooted the possibility of supplementing his facile William Hill Hurdle winner Tutti Quanti and on Wednesday afternoon, he was added to the field at a cost of £18,000.
The Irish challenge looks like being headed by the Gordon Elliott-trained Brighterdaysahead, with the Giggingstown-owned mare set to attempt to make it third time lucky at the Cheltenham Festival following defeats in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle and in last year's Champion Hurdle.
Willie Mullins is responsible for three potential contenders, although his star mare Lossiemouth still has the option of the Mares' Hurdle later in the week. Poniros and Anzadam both remain in contention for the Champion Hurdle at this stage.
Joe Tizzard's Kingwell Hurdle scorer Alexei and Henry de Bromhead's Workahead complete the possible field of nine.
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