Melodic Rendezvous is a contender for top honours once more, having returned to form with a comfortable success in Haydock's Champion Hurdle Trial. While connections were initially reticent about committing him to the real thing at the Cheltenham Festival in March, bookmakers slashed his odds to around 20-1 from 40s after he brushed aside the favourite, Ptit Zig.

"We really needed that," said the winning trainer, Jeremy Scott, who reported the horse had a torn muscle when flopping in the Fighting Fifth . "We've had a very anxious six weeks and it's lovely he's back to somewhere where we thought we should be. We actually thought he wanted quite good ground, but he's proved he loves soft ground and it's an edge he has over a lot of other horses. The Champion Hurdle looks competitive. Whether we are good enough to trouble the leading contenders I don't know, but it's an option."

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