Irving top-weight in Scottish Champion Hurdle Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Irving will carry top weight in a field of 15 in tomorrow's Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr. Trained by Paul Nicholls, the seven-year-old was found to be suffering from a problem when pulled up behind Faugheen in the Christmas Hurdle and returned to something like his best form when second to Blue Heron in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton. He missed Cheltenham with the aim of waiting for this but is giving upwards of 6lb to some smart rivals. One of those is Calipto, also trained by Nicholls, but his season has not gone entirely to plan. Among the leading juveniles last term, he was fourth in the Betfair Hurdle but became bogged down in the Sandown ground when pulled up in the Imperial Cup. Nicholls said: "Irving definitely wasn't right last time and hopefully he's back in better form now. Calipto was disappointing in bad ground at Sandown, but I think better ground will definitely be a help to him. "Hopefully they'll run well, but it's a tough race and late in the season, so we'll just have to see what happens." Dan Skelton's Bertimont has faced some stiff tasks this term, taking on The New One a couple of times, including when giving him a fright at Haydock, and when running in the Champion Hurdle last time out. Skelton and his brother Harry, who rides his horses, enjoyed a profitable two days at Cheltenham this week and that gives them confidence regarding Bertimont's chances. "He's in really good form and has been doing all his work with Hurricane Hollow, who won at Cheltenham on Wednesday," Harry Skelton said. "He's been going really well on the gallops and it would be a nice race to win. "I think Bertimont is in the best form he's been in all year, the track and ground should suit him really well. He's got a lot of speed, he won at Chepstow on decent ground and it will be drying all the time." Last year's race was won by the ill-fated Cockney Sparrow for John Quinn and owner Paul Gaffney and they are hoping to keep hold of the trophy with Pearl Castle. "Hopefully he can defend Cockney Sparrow's crown, God rest her soul," said Gaffney. "He's fit and well. At Newcastle last time out he was carrying top weight of nearly 12st and he's not a very robust horse, so that combined with the soft ground just told after the last and he finished fourth. John says he's kicking and bucking ahead of this and he's ready to roll." Grand National hero Leighton Aspell teams up with Gary Moore's Violet Dancer, winner of the Betfair Hurdle in February.
