Horseracing: Jair aims for another Cheltenham triumph
Hot favourite Jair du Cochet headed 123 entries revealed today for the Elite Racing Club Triumph Hurdle in March.
The Guillaume Macaire-trained gelding is quoted as short as 2-1 for the Cheltenham contest by Ladbrokes.
The news comes as no surprise after his impressive victory at the course last Saturday.
Other French entries include Bilboa (8-1), who chased him home in the Finale Junior Hurdle at Chepstow last month and whose trainer Francois Doumen won the prize with Snow Drop last year.
Shortest-priced among the home team are stable-mates Pedro Pete and Jocko Glasses, whose trainer Nicky Henderson has won the four-year-old hurdlers' championship event with First Bout, Alone Success and Katarino.
Most notable absentees form the field were Dermot Weld's Curragh Cup winner Quality Team, who had been offered at 20-1 by Ladbrokes, and Len Lungo's 33-1 shot Spirit Of Park, who was third behind the two French stars at Chepstow.
Jocko Glasses is also among 139 horses put in the Gerrard Supreme Novices' Hurdle, a two-mile event which opens the National Hunt Festival on March 13, while 160 are engaged in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.
Elite Racing Club Triumph Hurdle: Ladbrokes betting: 2-1 Jair du Cochet, 8-1 Bilboa, 10-1 Pittsburgh Phil, 12-1 Jocko Glasses, 14-1 Pedro Pete, 20-1 Kadarran, Fruits Defendu, 25-1 bar.
