McCoy reports Binocular in great form

Tony McCoy has issued a positive bulletin on Binocular's chances at Newcastle on Saturday week.

The Champion Hurdle winner is again poised to line up in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, a race in which he finished a laboured fifth behind Go Native in 2009.

Nicky Henderson's six-year-old will then follow the same route as last year by taking in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown, before going for gold at Cheltenham in March.

McCoy said: "I can't ever remember thinking before Newcastle last season that he might not be right, but he felt great the other morning.

"He is in the same routine and going for the same four races he went for last season, all being well - the Fighting Fifth, Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, Sandown and the Champion Hurdle.

"I was as easy on him as I could be at Newcastle because he did not finish off his race and it was the same at Kempton.

"But when he did come right, he really did."

Chief danger at Gosforth Park could be the Donald McCain-trained Peddlers Cross, but the 15-times champion is unfazed by the opposition at Newcastle - and in the Champion Hurdle.

He told the Daily Mail: "Peddlers Cross looks a very good horse and Menorah was impressive in Sunday's Greatwood Hurdle.

"They are all dangers, but would I want to ride another one?

"Binocular's Champion Hurdle performance was as good as I've had from a horse.

"If we can get another one like that, anything that beats him will have to be a good one."

McCoy also said he is not losing faith in Get Me Out Of Here.

The Jonjo O'Neill-trained six-year-old struggled on his two starts this season, most recently finishing sixth in Sunday's Greatwood Hurdle.

McCoy is, however, still hopeful last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle runner-up will show his true colours this winter.

He told the Daily Mail: "Get Me Out Of Here did not give me any feel at Ascot in a race I thought he'd win on the bridle - he never picked up again on Sunday.

"He jumped brilliantly, which leads you to believe that it can't be a physical issue.

"With horses like that you have to know what you are riding.

"If you look after them, they will hopefully come but it's a different thing from what happened with Binocular because he was not jumping like I knew he could."