Lil Rockerfeller© Photo Healy Racing
Lil Rockerfeller is likely to kick off his campaign in the bet365 West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby for the second successive season.
Neil King's stable star finished third in the Grade Two contest last October before going on to finish second in both the Coral Hurdle and the Long Walk at Ascot.
He was only fourth in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year's Day, but returned to Prestbury Park in March to run a fantastic race in the World Hurdle, beaten just three-quarters of a length by the Willie Mullins-trained Nichols Canyon.
A trip to Punchestown in the spring proved a step too far, but King could not be happier with his charge ahead of his intended reappearance on November 4th.
"Lil Rockerfeller is in very good form. He summered really well, we've been really happy with him through the autumn and he looks great," said the Wiltshire-based trainer.
"The plan is to start him off in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby and he'll go down the Stayers' Hurdle route again.
"He won't be going chasing this season. He's the second highest-rated staying hurdler in the country and I don't feel the need to go jumping fences with him at this stage.
"All being well he'll go to Wetherby, then to Ascot for the Long Walk and hopefully all roads lead back to Cheltenham in March.
"I'm really delighted with him at the moment. Dare I say it, I don't think he's ever been in as good a form at this time of year as he is now."
