Baracouda Tops World Field

Baracouda heads a field of 22 in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday.

The French ace bids to improve on his fine record in the stayers' championship having won the the three-mile contest in 2002 and 2003 and been second for the last two years.

His trainer Francois Doumen will be triple-handed as he also saddles Blue Canyon and Millenium Royal while there is a fourth French challenger in Ambobo from Arnaud Chaille-Chaille's stable.

Asian Maze, who runs in today's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, has also been declared. Thomas Mullins's charge is among a six-strong Irish contingent.

The others are the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Davenport Milenium and Holy Orders, Michael Halford's Golden Cross, Tom Taaffe's Emotional Moment and Thomas Foley's Royal Paradise.

The latter has been declared as a precaution as he is also in the Coral Cup tomorrow.

Alan King is doubly-represented with My Way de Solzen and Crystal D'Ainay, who was third to Iris's Gift two years ago.

With last year's winner Inglis Drever out injured, trainer Howard Johnson, relies on No Refuge, winner of the 2005 Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle, this time.

The field is completed by Jim Old's Attorney General, Jonjo O'Neill's Fire Dragon, Charles Egerton's It's Just Harry, Henry Daly's Mighty Man, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Mistanoora, Sue Smith's Patriarch Express, Steve Brookshaw's Sh Boom, Hughie Morrison's Starzaan and Westender, trained by Martin Pipe.

Just three horses were taken out at today's 48-hour final declaration stage. They were Al Eile, Carlys Quest and Lough Derg.

? PA Sport