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Tataniano the only high profile Arkle defector.

The Paul Nicholls trained Tataniano is the most high profile absentee from the latest declared list of runners for the Irish Independant Arkle Challenge Trophy at this year's Cheltenham Festival. But the Andy Stewart owned gelding still has an entry in the Johnnie Henderson Grand Annual Chase on Friday week.

Amongst the 17 horses standing their ground were market leaders; Captain Cee Bee, Somersby, Sizing Europe and Riverside Theatre. Paul Nicholls has left Woolcomnbe Folly in the mix, and Willie Mullins still has a trio of representatives in the form of; Sports Line, Shakervilz, and Quiscover Fontaine.

Go Native heads Champion Hurdle entry.

The Noel Meade trained Go Native heads the 17 horses still entered for next week's Champion Hurdle. The 2009 Supreme Novice Hurdle winner goes into the race in search of a million pound bonus from betting exchange wbx after collecting the first two legs of the qualifying races - the Fighting Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle. The Meade yard have also left Donnas Palm and Muirhead in the mix, but the situation over Go Native's main opponent Solwit is far from clear, and it could be as late as the weekend before Charles Byrnes is in a position to confirm or withdraw the long time anti post favourite for the race. The other Irish based entrants who are likely to run include; Ebadiyan, Cargali, Jumbo Rio, Raise Your Heart, Royal and Regal, and Won in the Dark.

The Nicky Henderson trained pair of Punjabi and Binocular, who finished first and third in last year's race, could be joined in the 2010 Champion Hurdle by stablemate and 2009 Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar. The British contingent being completed by Celestial Halo, Kyber Kim, Medermit and Starluck.

Albertas still has Gold Cup option.

With a win in the Amlin Chase and other good middle distance efforts this season, most pundits had expected Albertas Run to be a nailed on certainty to run in this season's Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, and while not indicating anything different, trainer jonjo O'Neill has suprisingly left his charge amongst the entrants for this season's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The Trevor Hemmings owned gelding could only manage to finish a 48 length distant ninth in the 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup, and in his only run over three miles in this season's King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, he was 69 lengths behind Kauto Star. Yet despite these statistics, Jonjo O'Neill has not ruled out the possibility of Albertas Run reappearing in this season's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Dunguib heads 34 for supreme. remai

Thirty four novice hurdlers remain entered in the curtain raiser for the 2010 Cheltenham Festival - The spinal Injuries Supreme Novices Hurdle - and as expected, the field is headed by Dunguib.

Certainly, the Irish contingent believe Philip Fenton's currently unbeaten novice is the banker bet of the whole Cheltenham Festival, and the trainer is not throwing any cold water on the notion, saying:

"Dunguib is grand, and all has gone very smoothly, no problems thankfully. He will possibly jump a couple of flights on Thursday morning before he heads off. I can confirm we have taken him out of the Champion Hurdle and he goes for the Supreme. I have been very happy with him since Leopardstown. He's jumped several hurdles since and he's jumped them well."

In a great gesture, leading Irish Bookmakers Paddy Power are to donate £1,000 to Spinal Research for every length of Dunguib's potential winning margin, and commenting on the gesture, Philip Fenton said,

"If he wins by half a length that will do for us, but hopefully we can do better than that for Spinal Research."

On the form of his Totesport Trophy success, the main danger to Dunguib would appear to be the J P Mcmanus owned Get Me Out Of Here. While philip Hobbs believes a muddling pace thwarted Menorah on his last outing, and Hobbs is confident Menorah will benefit greatly from the guaranteed pace of the Supreme Novices Hurdle.

The other dangers to a Dunguib success would appear to be; Oscar Whiskey, Blackstair Mountain, General Miller and Dan Green.

Qaspal Imperial run in the balance.

Despite being raised 14 pounds for his recent Sandown success, the J P Mcmanus owned Qaspal still needs six horses to drop out of the field prior to Thursday's final decleration stage for Saturday's Imperial Cup at Sandown.

As they are keen for Qaspal to run on Saturday, the Mcmanus camp could solve a third of the problem themselves as two of their other entrants - Bellvano and Sway - have entries at Cheltenham, but they might be reluctant to withdraw both horses, as if Qaspal still fails to get in to the final field, it could leave the Mcmanus camp with just Stradbrook as their sole representative - So all in all, it's a bit of a conundrum.

Velazquez to replace Spencer for Crowded House World Cup bid.

With connections believing the Dubai World Cup is an American style race on an American type racing surface, they have instructed trainer Brian Meehan to replace usual jockey Jamie Spencer, and instead they will go for the experience and American riding style of John Velazquez.

The Puerto Rican born jockey has already won the Dubai World Cup in 2005 on Roses in May, and he demonstrated his forceful style of riding to a British audience when claiming victory on Jealus Guy at last year's Royal Ascot Meeting.

Meehan has been quick to emphasise the decision is not a reflection on Jamie Spencer, who has ridden Crowded House on his last five outings including his Racing Post Trophy success in 2008, and the trainer indicates Spencer will reclaim the ride when the four-year-old returns to Europe for a summer campaign.

Smurfit Capa end long association with Champion Hurdle.

The Smurfit Capa Paper Group, who have sponsored the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle since 1991, have decided the time has come to end their association with the blue ribbon hurdle at the annual Cheltenham Festival.

Reflecting on two decades of sponsership, Gary Mcgann, Group Chief Executive of Smurfit Capa said,

"The Smurfit Capa Group is pleased to have fully honoured it's sponsership committment to the Champion Hurdle, and we have enjoyed the excellent working relationship with the Cheltenham management team. We now wish them every success in finding a suitable future sponser for this famous event."

Edward Gillespie, Managing Director of Cheltenham Racecourse replied,

"It has been a joy to have the support of Smurfit Capa for so many years, and on behalf of everyone at Cheltenham I would like to express our huge gratitude to everyone at Smurfit Capa for everything they have done as a company to prmote this great race."

Peter mcniele, Director of Sponsership at Cheltenham added,

"Smurfit Capa have been an excellent partner, and they will be difficult to replace. Naturally, due to the high profile of the race we already have some interest from other parties, and we will begin the process of recruiting a new sponser for what is one of the iconic races once the dust has settled on the 2010 Festival."

Martin Pipe backs Dunguib decision.

Retired leading trainer Martin Pipe believes the connections of Dunguib havemade exactly the right decision to stick to the Spinal Injuries Supreme Novices Hurdle rather than going for the Champion Hurdle this year.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Pipe said:

"I would have done the same thing with Dunguib. The Irish think he is the banker, and if I had to take five horses to Cheltenham, he'd be my first choice. A fst run race will be ideal for him."

In a wide ranging interview, Pipe also explained why he prefers the chances of other leading fancies for the major races at this year's Cheltenham Festival,

"The ground seems to be favouring Kauto Starmore than Denman in the Gold Cup, and he's simply the best. Masterminded won well last time after the injury and should win the Champion Chase."

Discusssing some of his son David Pipe's horses, Pipe senior said,

"Notus de la Tour is near top weight in the Fred Winter, and while he has only had one run for the stable, he's a nice young horse who will want good ground.

"Ashkazar has been a little disappointing this season but the conditions for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle should suit him, and I am expecting him to go a lot better."

Fleming hoping Wings will fly at Cheltenham.

Alan Fleming considers On Borrowed Wings to be an interesting contender for the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Not seen since winning At Ffoslas in December, the gelding has an entry in this Saturday's EBF Paddy PowerNational Hunt Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown Park, but in an interesting move, Fleming has decided to save his charge for Cheltenham. Discussing his decision, Fleming said,

"He gave himself a knock behind after his last run at Ffoslas, but he is in good form now, and his recent work has been very very good. He's got a mark of 134, and it's difficult to know how good he is, particularly as he is going into the unknown, but it should give him a chance. We haven't got a jockey sorted for him yet, but hopefully we will have by the wekend."

Briefly commenting on his Champion Hurdle contender Starluck, Fleming said,

"He's in great shape, but I read Cheltenham are watering, and in relation to Starluck, I would prefer they didn't, but we'll be running no matter what the ground conditions."

King favouring Pertemsp for Trenchant.

With first time blinkers having worked the oracle on Trenchant when he won the Grade Two National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell Park on his last outing, trainer Alan King has chosen to retain the head gear for Trenchant's next run at the Cheltenham Festival.

"We tried them on him at home and he seemed enthused, and while that enthusiasm doesn't always transfer to racing, in his case it did. He stayed the two and a half miles on heavy ground at Fontwell very well, and now the ground is drying out, Robert Thornton thinks he will handle three miles just as well. With that in mind, we have decided to run him in the Pertemps Hurdle Final, but we will keep his Coral Cup entry in reserve, in case there is a sudden downpour which alters the predicted ground at Cheltenham."

Sabrina Harty waiting on Solwit decision.

With ground conditions at Cheltenham likely to be good, trainer Sabrina Harty has decided to run Won in the Dark in next week's Champion Hurdle.

However, Solwit's pending participation in the race is also of major interest to Harty, as his booked partner Davy Russell rode Won in the Dark to two successive victories at Punchestown and Leopardstown last month, and if Solwit doesn ot run, Harty is very keen to book Russell for the Champion Hurdle.

Third in the 2008 Triumph Hurdle, Won in the Dark could only finish tenth in last year's Champion Hurdle, but with ground conditions likely to be in his favour this year, Harty is hopeful of a much better showing in this season's renewal.

Younger Winston awaiting riding return.

Robert Winston's younger brother John (20) was hoping to be a professional jockey by now, but while on route to Scotland in Januery 2009 he suffered an horrific car crash on the A1 near Morpeth, and with a resultant crushed vertibrae in his neck, punctured lung, rib fractures, and a pelvus broken in two places, for a while, his life was in the balance.

Despite now carrying a range of scars to remind him of the incident, John Winston soon made a remarkable recovery, and he has been riding out for trainer Alan Swinbank for the past three months.

Now looking forward to a bright future, Winston has just become a conditional jockey, and he is awaiting his first call from Alan Swinbank to have his initial professional ride.