Binocular and Solwhit clash in Fighting Fifth

Champion Hurdle favourite Binocular and second favourite Solwhit head a top class field of seven for the 2009 WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

Binocular, who is owned by JP McManus, will bid to give trainer Nicky Henderson back-to-back victories following the success of Punjabi 12 months ago.

Andy Turnell's Blue Bajan is the only other British-trained horse left in the line-up.

Leading a strong Irish contingent is Charles Byrnes' Solwhit, who defeated Punjabi at Punchestown in May and made a winning reappearance there two weeks ago.

The 2007 Champion Hurdle victor Sublimity, trained by Robbie Hennessy, John Queally's Al Eile, Noel Meade's Go Native and Sabrina Harty's Won In The Dark make up the raiding party from across the Irish Sea.

Go Native was the first to arrive about 7am with Solwhit arriving at Newcastle a couple of hours later ahead of the big race with the remainder of the five-strong raiding party expected later today.

Muirhead and Cape Tribulation were the only two withdrawals at the final declaration stage.

The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle is the first leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown which takes in the three Grade 1 2m hurdle races run in Britain each season.

The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Any horse that wins these three races in the same season will land connections a £1 million bonus.

The £1 million bonus for winning the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown sees £700,000 awarded to the owner, £150,000 to the trainer, £100,000 to the responsible stable lad or lass and £50,000 to the remainder of the stable.

The 2009 running of the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle will carry total prize money of £100,000, making it the most valuable renewal of the race to date.

In addition, the race has been brought forward almost two hours from when originally scheduled to 13:50(GMT) to help ensure fresh ground for the Grade 1 feature.