Henderson pleased with Binocular progress

Nicky Henderson believes Binocular's jumping is one of the key factors in his defence of the Stan James Champion Hurdle crown.

The seven-year-old shrugged off an average build-up to triumph on the big day at the Cheltenham Festival last March and he booked his ticket for a return trip with an impressive performance in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton last week.

His victory there was a substantial step up on his debut third behind Peddlers Cross in the Fighting Fifth and Henderson thinks his jumping had improved again.

"He's the best jumper of a hurdle I've had since (triple Champion Hurdle winner) See You Then," said Henderson.

"He's very quick at his hurdles, that's what was missing last year.

"He was the big relief (at Kempton), we needed to see him coming back to his best and he was spectacular. His jumping was very impressive.

"He's come back great. The only thing is that with the rearrangement (of the Christmas Hurdle), it has brought us a bit closer to Sandown and the Contenders Hurdle than we would have liked.

"I'd still like to go there though and there is then a nice gap to Cheltenham. He does take a lot of work, he's a big bull of a horse."

Peddlers Cross had been due to run in the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock but with that meeting cancelled, his trainer Donald McCain will have to go back to the drawing board.

Henderson is hoping to avoid a clash with that rival before the Festival though.

He added: "It will be very interesting to see what they do with Peddlers Cross now and how he fits into the programme with the various trials.

"Oscar Whisky goes to Ffos Las (for the Welsh Champion Hurdle) but it would be very boring to see Peddlers Cross there too, or at Sandown. I don't think either of us want that," he told Channel 4's The Morning Line.