Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Champion Hurdle hope Yanworth in great form reports trainer Alan King

ALAN KING is confident Yanworth will run "extremely well" in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Owned by JP McManus, Yanworth is the ante-post favourite to claim the two-mile crown having won seven of his eight starts over hurdles.

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Those victories include the Coral Hurdle at Ascot, the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton this season.

With regular partner Barry Geraghty sidelined by injury, Mark Walsh comes in for the plum ride and King was pleased with how the pair clicked during a schooling session on Thursday.

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"Yanworth is in good order and I'm very happy with him," said the Barbury Castle-based trainer.

"Mark Walsh came over and schooled him over 12 flights of hurdles.

"We've had a clear run since Wincanton, which we've not had before. I could not be more happy with him.

"He did well to win at Wincanton and Kempton and I think he will run extremely well."

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