Fighting Fifth needs a helping hand - and this radical change could be it

It is regrettable the current jumps season has been attracting headlines for the wrong reasons, so what better race than Newbury's historic handicap chase the Coral Gold Cup to cheer us all up on Saturday?

However, it cannot be ignored that the same day's Grade 1 Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle has a paltry entry at the five-day stage, with just six possible contenders for Newcastle's showpiece jumps race.

It would have been five had Constitution Hill run in the Coral Hurdle on Saturday. We all know what happened there, but it's puzzling that the Ascot Grade 2 was trainer Nicky Henderson's preferred option for the Champion Hurdle favourite rather than a Grade 1 the following week. Why is the Fighting Fifth, a race many of the very best two-mile hurdlers have won down the years, an afterthought for one of the most exciting prospects this century?