Hors La Loi III delighted big-race jockey Tony Dobbin in a piece of work at Newmarket this morning as he put the finishing touches to the defence of his Smurfit Champion Hurdle crown.
Dobbin will be in the saddle at Cheltenham a week today as the James Fanshawe-trained eight-year-old bids to atone for some disappointing efforts this season, the latest of which came in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
"He's better on a stiffer track like Cheltenham and he will be right for the day, there's no-one better than Mr Fanshawe to get one ready," Dobbin told attheraces.
"He was a different horse this horse this morning than he was at Wincanton and I'm looking forward to it.
"He ripped the arms of me this morning, I couldn't hold on to him.
"I schooled him over four or five hurdles. I had a lead off Persian Waters and by the time I got to the last hurdle I was four or five lengths clear. Then we worked over about a mile and a half and he felt really, really well."
But Dobbin is in no doubt about the horse to beat next week.
"It's obviously competitive and I know Rhinestone Cowboy is very short but I've followed him round a couple of times this year and nobody has impressed me more than him. He's the one we all have to beat," he said.