Gifford bullish that Straw Bear can bounce back

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A good run would ensure he maintains a route to the Champion Hurdle in March. If he struggles in a field which will also include Afsoun, Katchit and Macs Joy, trainer Nick Gifford could send him novice chasing.

Gifford: Straw Bear's trainer

Straw Bear is 25-1 for the Champion but is also quoted at 16-1 for the Arkle Trophy for novice chasers.

Saturday will be his first race since breaking a blood vessel and being pulled up behind Sublimity in March.

Since then, he has had a six-week break in Ireland where JP McManus's gelding schooled over fences.

Gifford said: 'I think he will run a big race on Saturday. If he does, we'll probably then go for the Agfa Hurdle at Sandown, Cheltenham, Aintree and possibly then Punchestown.'

Gifford believes there was a reason for Straw Bear's broken blood vessel.

He said: 'He had a rough journey to Cheltenham and then got wound up. It had never happened before and it has not happened since.'

Straw Bear is an 8-1 shot for Saturday's race with Sublimity the 2-1 favourite.

Rumours suggesting that Hennessy winner Denman was coughing and might miss the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on December 28 were dismissed by Paul Nicholls yesterday.

Bookmakers temporarily suspended betting, but Nicholls said: 'He worked well this morning and is 100 per cent fine.

'Both him and Big Buck's did cough three or four times on the Monday and Tuesday after they ran at Newbury but it was nothing.'

Ladbrokes marginally eased Denman's Lexus odds from 1-3 to 2-5 while well-backed The Listener was clipped to 5-2 from 3-1.