Perrone in Newbury picture Tony Martin is considering a tilt at Newbury's Betfair Hurdle with Blair Perrone. The six-year-old beat last season's Champion Bumper hero Silver Concorde at Leopardstown last month and was last seen when finishing fifth to Douvan in the Moscow Flyer Novices' Hurdle at Punchestown. Martin said: "The Betfair Hurdle is an option for Blair Perrone. "The intention is to run him somewhere at around that time but it's too early to say whether that will be at Newbury or in a novice hurdle at Leopardstown. We will probably know more in a week or so. "We are happy enough with him at the moment. He has come out of Punchestown well and will have learned a good bit from that as it was only his fifth run. "He has always shown himself to be a fair horse and we were very happy with him at Leopardstown." Blair Perrone is one of four Irish-trained acceptors for the Betfair, which is made up by a Willie Mullins-trained trio of Wicklow Brave, Lucky Bridle and Daneking. Ante-post favourite Calipto is also one of the 46 horses left in at the latest confirmation stage. The February 7 contest, which will be worth £155,000, was won by Calipto's trainer Paul Nicholls in 2012 when he saddled Zarkandar to claim the Newbury prize. Calipto has not run since finishing second to Tiger Roll in an intermediate hurdle at Cheltenham in October and he is followed in the betting by the Harry Fry-trained Activial. Fry also has Jolly's Cracked It, who was second to L'Ami Serge in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown earlier this month, in the running. Nicky Henderson, who will be seeking his sixth Betfair Hurdle, has whittled down his nine initial entries to five, headed by Christmas Hurdle fourth Sign Of A Victory and Snake Eyes. The quintet is completed by the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned pair of Dawalan and Vasco Du Ronceray, who both scored last time out, plus Royal Irish Hussar.
