Big Guns Remain In Champion

All the leading fancies have stood their ground for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle and feature among a total of 19 possibles for the big race on Tuesday.

Hardy Eustace will bid to land his third blue riband ? and his fourth consecutive win at the Festival in all ? while Brave Inca will attempt to make up the one length he needs to find with the dual champion from last year's renewal.

Last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Arcalis, Jessica Harrington's Macs Joy and Tom Mullins' mare Asian Maze also feature.

The latter had been thought likely to run in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, for which the dual Grade One-winning mare was as low as 5-1.

But connections are '90% certain' she will go for the two-mile championship.

'We are leaning towards the Champion Hurdle now and I would say she is 90% certain to run in that race,' Mullins told PA Sport.

'The ground has eased and Ruby Walsh is keen to ride her. She is very well and deserves a crack at it.'

The seven-year-old impressed as a novice last season with her bold front-running style and has only raced once this season, when flashing home to take second behind Macs Joy in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle last month.

Mullins' charge then completed her Cheltenham preparations when working at Leopardstown last Sunday.

'She worked well and has come out of it fine,' added the County Kilkenny trainer.

Andrew Balding has supplemented Kingwell Hurdle winner Briareus, while Fiepes Shuffle is set to represent Germany.

? PA Sport