The only possibility of an English challenger for Sunday week's AIG Champion Hurdle now lies with the hardy visitor Master Beveled after Nicky Henderson confirmed yesterday he is unlikely to run the Triumph Hurdle winner Katarino or either of his other two entries in the Leopardstown feature.

Lambourn based Henderson said yesterday: "I wouldn't have thought any of the three will run. They were entered to keep our options open in case the weather intervened over here. Bachannal will probably go to Cheltenham, Blue Royal for the Tote Gold Trophy and I'm not sure where Katarino will run next."

Alan King confirmed on Wednesday that Relkeel will race instead at Haydock the day before the AIG which leaves Master Beveled, unplaced in the Ladbroke last weekend and a runner in two other Irish races this season already, as the only possible cross-channel contender.

It confirms the likely dominance in the big race of Istabraq and Limestone Lad. The latter is set for a busy Spring with connections refusing to rule out the possibility of running him in both the Champion Hurdle and the Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.