Twelve months ago when the relatively unconsidered Master Tribe won the Ladbroke Hurdle, punters could have been excused for making a double take. It was after all the Ladbroke. Sure, other big races had been exported from Ireland with tiresome regularity, but the Ladbroke had stayed at home like a slow relative ever since the frighteningly quick Barnbrook Again had taken the initial Ladbroke back in 1987. The Ladbroke, the first big handicap of the year, was ours.

Master Tribe, though, blew that theory out of the water and focused more attention than might have been expected on the strength of the cross-channel challenge this time. With seven British-trained horses left in, the challenge has been taken up but principally by Nicky Henderson's Sharpical.

Experienced enough at six, weighted well enough with 10st 6lb and fresh enough with only one run behind him so far this winter, Sharpical's position as third favourite behind Commanche Court and Graphic Equaliser will be only secured by the presence on his back of big-race rider, Mick Fitzgerald.

As stable jockey to the powerful Henderson yard and a memorable Grand National winner on Rough Quest in 1996, it's surprising that Fitzgerald, 27, from Co Wexford will be having his first experience of the Ladbroke, but he is taking nothing for granted. It's a policy he believes that previous English-based challengers could have done with.

"The poor record for English horses could possibly have come from underestimating the quality of the race and then, when things didn't go right, not sending over the very best in future years. This is an extremely big prize and an extremely difficult prize to win.

"Horses aren't stopped in preparation for it, but they are laid out for a long time. They have to be because they don't have many other options for that kind of prize-money. You also have two and a half mile horses who love the soft running against specialist two milers who are trying to last out, so it's very hard to win. However, I think Master Tribe has given English trainers hope," Fitzgerald says.

Henderson, for one, believes Sharpical is nicely weighted and at his best it's not difficult to see why. A winner on the flat for James Fanshawe and Mark Prescott, Sharpical won twice for Henderson last season and also ran second to Midnight Legend at Aintree. Despite that and an encouraging seasonal reappearance at Ascot, the doubters say Sharpical may be one of those horses who thinks about what he is doing rather too much.

"I suppose you would have to question how he carries his head so high sometimes, but if you saw him at home, you'd see that he has an abnormally high head carriage anyway. It certainly hasn't stopped him beating good horses in the past and he has never downright downed tools," Fitzgerald comments. Nevertheless, Sharpical is likely to be wearing blinkers on Saturday.

"Two things needed in a race like the Ladbroke are the ability to jump and to travel in a race. Blinkers will sharpen him up and make my job easier, especially since we'll be hoping to make ground from the rear. When gaps appear, I have to be travelling well enough to fill them. If he does that, he has a good chance," he says.

If Sharpical does do that, Fitzgerald's lack of specific Ladbroke experience is unlikely to be a problem. "It can't be as bad as the County Hurdle at Cheltenham when 15 arrive at the last on fast ground with a chance. That's when problems start. Leopardstown is a fair track with a good long straight and, on this ground, we should be spread out by the business end," Fitzgerald says.

Should Sharpical carry his rider to that business end, Fitzgerald has no hesitation in picking out the horse he would rather not see next to him.

"Commanche Court is a worthy favourite. He's the class horse in the race and off 10st 12lb I think he could be chucked in. His recent form is good, he'll stay and he's won around the track," he says.

Sharpical may not have won around the track, or Fitzgerald ridden in the race, but this year, Commanche Court or no Commanche Court, there will be no taking the visitors for granted.