No Champion bid for Limini

● Yanworth and Buveur D’air head big-race market

Limini has not been supplemented for Tuesday’s Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, leaving Buveur D’air and Yanworth to top 13 contenders.

Willie Mullins had raised the possibility of adding Limini to the Grade One event following her recent victorious seasonal bow, but opted not to pitch her into the opening-day feature.

That leaves the JP Mcmanusowned pair of Buveur D’air and Yanworth, trained by Nicky Henderson and Alan King, pictured, respectively, battling it out for ante-post favouritism.

Mcmanus and Henderson have a second string to their collective bow through dual Champion Hurdle runner-up My Tent Or Yours, while the Seven Barrows trainer also has a third runner in Brain Power, who is owned by Michael Buckley.

While Limini has not been added to the mix, Mullins has left in both Footpad and Vroum Vroum Mag, although the latter is expected to defend her titleintheolbgmares’hurdle on the same card instead.

Mullins also has Wicklow Brave in contention, with Henry de Bromhead’s Petit Mouchoir the leading Irish contender following his two recent Grade One victories.

Moon Racer, one of the main ante-post fancies for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, stands his ground for David Pipe, with Nigel Twiston-davies primed to throw Festival regular The New One into battle once again in the two-mile showpiece for his fourth attempt at the Champion prize.

King’s second string Sceau Royal, Dan Skelton’s Ch’tibello and the Malcolm Jefferson-trained Cyrus Darius round out the contenders.

Meanwhile, Altior heads 15 horses to have stood their ground for the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham on Tuesday following the confirmation stage.

Nicky Henderson’s sevenyear-old landed the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the opening card 12 months ago and has won all his four starts over fences this season in the style of a top-drawer prospect.

Henderson is also represented by Top Notch, who is more likely to run in the JLT Novices’ Chase on Thursday week.

The Kim Bailey-trained Charbel was runner-up to Altior in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown indecemberandisset to renew rivalry with Henderson’s hot favourite. Willie Mullins has left in Royal Caviar and Yorkhill, although both also hold entries in the JLT, while Henry de Bromhead has included Ordinary World, Some Plan and Three Stars from his team. Completing the list of possibles for the Arkle are A Hare Breath, Cloudy Dream, Flying Angel, Forest Bihan, Gino Trail, Knockgraffon and Le Prezien.