Timeform / 03 February 2010 Free Bet View Market

It's tight at the top. This season's Champion Hurdle looks one of the most competitive for years; with most major bookmakers offering odds of 5/1 the field and no fewer than seven horses covered by 2 lb at the top of the Timeform ratings. The first three home in 2009, Punjabi, Celestial Halo and Binocular, are all set to lock horns again, whilst Solwhit has developed into a live contender since bypassing that renewal, winning in Grade 1 company on four of his last five starts and set to line up as favourite against Celestial Halo in Sunday's Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Most of the leading contenders have met several times over already, but there's an unknown quantity at the head of the market in the shape of Zaynar, Nicky Henderson having steered a path that's avoided the established two-milers all season. The imposing grey is unbeaten in five starts over hurdles, is unlikely to be wanting for speed given the way he powered away from an above-average Triumph Hurdle field in 2009 and could be rated a fair bit higher given a literal view of his six-length Ascot defeat of Karabak back in November.

Were it to come down to a sprint finish, last year's Supreme Novices' winner Go Native (rated 162) would undoubtedly come into the reckoning, with success set to land his connections £1m bonus following on from wins in the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdles, and an enthralling renewal looks assured. Who said the Golden Age of Hurdling was in the late 1970s!

Timeform ratings for leading contenders:

165+ Zaynar
164 Solwhit
164 Punjabi
164 Celestial Halo
164 Binocular