Racecourse gallop the plan for Binocular

NICKY HENDERSON plans to send Binocular for a racecourse gallop at Newbury to put the finishing touches to his preparation for the Stan James.com Champion Hurdle despite giving him an entry in Saturday's Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

The eight-year-old appeared among the eight entries for the reopened Grade 2 published on Tuesday but Henderson is more likely to rely on International Hurdle winner Grandouet in that race.

"Binocular will have a racecourse gallop at Newbury while Grandouet goes for the Kingwell," said Henderson.

With Binocular likely to by-pass the race, Grandouet's biggest challenge looks like coming in the shape of the Paul Nicholls-trained Celestial Halo who benefited from the fall of Grandouet in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton in November.

Henderson plans to send Riverside Theatre and Bobs Worth to Ascot on Saturday with the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase being on the agenda for the first named and the Grade 2 Sodexho Prestige Novices' Chase being the plan for the latter who figures prominently in the betting for the RSA Chase.

"Riverside Theatre heads to Ascot on Saturday and everything has been going really well with him," Henderson added. "I just want to get a run into him before he goes for the Ryanair. Bobs Worth is in good shape and I think the race is the ideal stepping stone for the RSA Chase."