Bank on brave Rooster to be crowing again

First time out this season he finished only fifth behind Rigmarole in a sprint finish to the Bula Hurdle over this course, while at Kempton on Boxing Day he was a beaten favourite again when second to Intersky Falcon in a steadily-run Christmas Hurdle.

The doubters were beginning to surface. The odds makers at Ladbrokes were at the front of the queue by quoting him at 5-1 to retain his crown.

But asking Rooster Booster to shine in those tactical affairs was akin to asking Paula Radcliffe to produce a peak performance over 1,500 metres.

What Rooster Booster needs to produce his peak effort is a searching early gallop which draws the sting from the sprinters.

Johnson took matters into his own hands by taking up the running a long way from home in the Haydock Champion Hurdle Trial.

An emphatic defeat of Hasty Prince and Specular followed, but the performance which proved the champ was back to his formidable best came in the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury last month.

The official handicapper set Rooster Booster a mighty task there by forcing him to concede a stone or more to 25 of the most battle-hardened hurdlers in training.

He responded in heroic fashion, scything through the field from the home turn and battling on tenaciously close home only to be worn down on the line by the powerful finish of Geos.

The leading Irish trainer Edward O'Grady recognised the magnitude of that performance but wondered "whether we saw too much in the trailer".

O'Grady is too wise a bird to ignore on such matters, but for once there seemed an element of straw clutching in his comments.

Rooster Booster is a throwback to the old champions in his ability to thrive on racing, and it's hard to imagine those Newbury exertions have dulled his appetite.

So what can beat him? Rigmarole is the clear second favourite after following his Bula win with a highly impressive defeat of Intersky Falcon in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton. The confidence behind him in the Paul Nicholls camp is infectious, but 3-1 looks a short price considering there are others in the field whose best form reads just as well.

Intersky Falcon is one of them. He's become a mercurial character since going off too fast in this race last year, but he remains a brilliant jumper and is well capable of figuring in the finish if everything clicks into place for him.

Geos can run well again despite the fact that he meets Rooster Booster on 17lb worse terms compared to their Newbury clash, while Limerick Boy and Foreman have shown improved form this year and have the potential to progress again.

And then there is Intersky Falcon's stablemate Specular. Backing this former Australian star involves a considerable leap of faith, but he travelled like a very good horse for a long way on his British debut and remains a fascinating dark horse.

However, the bottom line is that Rooster Booster has the best form in this field by a clear margin.

It is probably asking too much for a repeat of last year's 11-length romp, but by any reckoning he sets the standard for the rest to match again.

Graham Cunningham's Champion Hurdle 1-2-3
1: Rooster Booster
2: Specular
3: Intersky Falcon