Solwhit will head to Cheltenham

Solwhit, one of the leading fancies for Tuesday's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, will travel over to England after scoping clean this morning.

His participation was thrown into some doubt when trainer Charles Byrnes revealed the five-time Grade 1 winner had started coughing earlier in the week.

However, Byrnes is satisfied that the six-year-old is well enough to take his chance and he will leave for Prestbury Park later today. "I've made a decision and he's travelling over," said Byrnes.

"He scoped clean earlier this morning so he will travel over tonight but obviously we will be monitoring him closely."

Solwhit sprang to prominence when winning the Aintree Hurdle at the Grand National meeting last year and despite being campaigned solely at the highest level since, his only reverse came in a slowly-run Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.

Byrnes went on: "It was very strange because he didn't go off his food and looked well in himself, it was just that he was coughing. There was no virus or anything, none of the other horses have coughed so it really is a bit of a mystery."

"Obviously it is not ideal to have something like this happen so close to the Champion Hurdle but he seems fine now. He'll be monitored on the journey there and when he gets there but the intention is to run and as long as he's 100% he will."

"He's travelling over with Pittoni (Triumph Hurdle) and Weapon's Amnesty (RSA Chase) so we've got three decent chances."