Clerk's prepared to settle family account for Banks

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This year's Champion Hurdle field is likely to be one of the least populous in recent decades, with just 13 contenders left after yesterday's penultimate confirmation stage. The line-up for Tuesday's £370,000 contest, the Cheltenham Festival opening day highlight, will be finalised on Sunday but even if it remains intact, there will have been only three smaller since Sea Pigeon beat eight rivals in 1980.

Quantity is one thing, though, competitiveness entirely another. All the big guns – the market leaders are the defending title holder Binocular, Ireland's best Hurricane Fly and new kids on the block Menorah and Peddlers Cross – remain in the mix, plus an intriguing pea-shooter (in betting reckoning, at least) or two.

One of them is Clerk's Choice, a progressive five-year-old who ran up a sequence last year but is rated a 66-1 shot. "He seems to be totally ignored," said his defiant owner-trainer yesterday, "and I bet he wouldn't be if my name was Nicholls or Henderson or King and I wasn't an old farmer from Cambridgeshire."

Step forward Michael Banks, who trains six family horses at Waresley. His pride and joy romped home over the Champion Hurdle course and distance in a very good time back in October before two fourth places, on less suitable softer ground, including a creditable effort behind Menorah last time out.

"I wouldn't be taking a 1,000-1 chance to a meeting like Cheltenham," said Banks, "that would just be stupid. But he's got every right to have a go, especially if he gets the ground he likes. He's a terrific jumper of a hurdle but he just got bogged down when it was softer. And anyway, the way he's improved he's now in no-man's land. In something like the County Hurdle he'd have top weight and just be a target to be shot at."

Banks has something of a Cheltenham pedigree. His father, Sidney, won the Foxhunters on Lucky Purchase back in 1947, and had his colours carried to victory in a Gloucestershire (now Supreme Novices') Hurdle in 1960 and into second place in the National Hunt Chase in 1971.

"Maybe it's time the family went back to the Festival," added Banks, "we do seem to get back there every so often. But it would be once in a lifetime that someone like me would have a horse good enough to run in a Champion Hurdle. Unless, of course, Clerk's Choice proves he is up to that class, in which case we won't leave it so long next time. We'll be back next year."

Banks will be encouraged by yesterday's going report from Gloucestershire, where the Cheltenham track is continuing to dry out and less rain is expected than originally forecast. The going is now good to soft, good in places.

With five days to go until the Festival, Ruby Walsh – favourite to retain his jockeys' title at the meeting – is still looking for his first winner since his comeback from injury six days ago. Yesterday at Naas he escaped with a cut near his left eye after a crashing fall, but was stood down for the rest of the afternoon. He will next be in action at Sandown on Saturday, with two mounts booked for Paul Nicholls.

The latest Festival non-combatant is Planet Of Sound, who had been a lively Gold Cup outsider at 28-1 but has picked up an infection in a hind leg. "He was putting a bit of weight on it today," said trainer Philip Hobbs, "but I'm 95 per cent certain he won't get to Cheltenham."

Turf account

Chris McGrath's Nap

Overlady (3.45 Carlisle) Missed a season through injury and, after a warm-up over hurdles, travelled sweetly on her return to fences at today's venue before having to be pulled up with rest of the field in a void race.

Next best

Oh My Days (6.30 Kempton) Well-related colt who showed much promise on his sole run to date and can take this en route to resuming his turf career.

One to watch

Hypnotic Gaze (M Keighley), a winner at Doncaster last week, has limited ability but is still unexposed over hurdles and is the type to notch a sequence in plating company, particularly if stepped up from the minimum trip.

Where the money's going

The punters' picks with the sponsors yesterday for Saturday's feature at Sandown, the Paddy Power Imperial Cup, were Arrayan (12-1 on Monday, now 7-1) and Via Galilei (11-1 from 14-1).