Strong aims to make Point at Haydock

Strongpoint was third in Haydock's StanJames.com Champion Hurdle Trial last year and returns for another crack on Saturday.

The 12-year-old mixes hurdling and chasing with a degree of success for Northern Irish trainer Stuart Crawford but was only fifth at Musselburgh on New Year's Day.

"It's not the route we wanted to take, but there aren't many options for a horse like him," said Crawford.

"He wants better ground really but when are we going to see that? Ideally I wanted to send him back chasing, but there's good money on offer here and a small field."

The one to beat is The New One, who was set to clash with last season's Triumph Hurdle winner Peace And Co, but he was ruled out on Friday morning as Nicky Henderson is not totally happy with the five-year-old.

That means The New One will face just five rivals and he has 11lb in hand on official ratings, h owever, he also looked to have a open goal 12 months ago in the race when, as a 1-6 favourite, he needed to be hard ridden to beat Bertimont by just over two lengths.

After a simple comeback win at Kempton this season, The New One suffered a minor setback which left him short of work before his Christmas assignment at Kempton, when he was second to the current Champion Hurdle hero Faugheen.

"There's some very nice prize money on offer and his task has been made easier with Nicky's horse not running," said trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies.

"It's a shame actually, it would have been a good race and it would have been nice to take him on, but there you go.

"It was a strange race last year, I didn't know what to make of it then and I still don't. Obviously he wasn't in love with the ground and he's going to have to put up with it again, but there aren't many options for horses as good as him.

"If he didn't run here, there is Sandown (Contenders Hurdle) or Wincanton (Kingwell), but then you are getting a bit too close to comfort to the Champion Hurdle so your hand is forced somewhat.

"I'd made it clear before the Christmas Hurdle that he had been held up and that he was short of proper work so in the circumstances I thought he ran a nice race, he certainly wasn't disgraced."