Henderson favouring Pentland Hills going on trial for Champion Hurdle at Haydock

Nicky Henderson is responsible for the two leading players among nine entries for Saturday's New One Unibet Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock, with last season's dual Grade 1-winning juvenile Pentland Hills the more likely of the pair to take up the engagement.

The JCB Triumph Hurdle winner ran with a deal of promise on his return to action last month before flattening out in the final furlong to be fifth to stablemate Call Me Lord in the Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham.

"I'm trying to run Pentland Hills but I'm not sure about Call Me Lord," said Henderson, who expects the ground to be far from ideal. "It's going to be very testing everywhere."

Fighting Fifth hero Cornerstone Lad is also among the entries, as is Ballyandy, who was second to Call Me Lord at Cheltenham before finishing third to current Champion Hurdle favourite Epatante in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

Snowden looking forward to Rebel run

Thebannerkingrebel will attempt to enhance his credentials for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday in the same sponsor's Grade 2 Rossington Main Trial.

A general 25-1 chance for the Cheltenham Festival opener off the back of an impressive defeat of Calva D'Auge at the same track in November, the Jamie Snowden-trained Thebannerkingrebel is also entered for the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival and the Betfair Hurdle early next month.

Thebannerkingrebel heads back to Haydock on SaturdayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"When he crossed the line at Haydock that day our immediate plan was to come back for the Rossington Main and that's still very much the plan," said Snowden on Monday. "He's pretty versatile in terms of ground. He was second in the Grade 2 Aintree bumper last spring on pretty soft ground. He also won a bumper at Bangor on heavy ground under a penalty, beating Alan King's Harambe. He has plenty of form on softer ground and likewise he goes on better ground."

Among ten potential rivals Thebannerkingrebel could face is the King-trained Edwardstone, who has won both starts over hurdles and beat Fiddlerontheroof at Wincanton in November.

Coral have installed Acting Lass and Champers On Ice as their 6-1 joint-favourites for the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase on the same card.

Acting Lass found only Regal Encore too strong in the Dave Dawes Silver Cup at Ascot last month and is second-highest-rated among an entry of 16 headed by Definitly Red.

Haydock confident of beating Storm Brendan

Kirkland Tellwright, Haydock's clerk of the course, said on Monday afternoon: "We have a lot of rain forecast between now and Thursday but it's dry from Friday and I'm confident we will race.

"There was 4mm in the rain gauge this morning and we're getting a lot of rain right now, but there's no standing water and it's better to have rain than frost.

"Obviously the ground will be heavy and we'll move bends as much as we can to give fresher ground."

The forecast is for heavy rain on Tuesday but less on Wednesday and Thursday before it turns drier for Friday and Saturday.

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