Nicky Henderson is becoming jump racing's equivalent of Manchester City manager Mark Hughes. The trainer has plenty of stars at his disposal, but keeping all of them happy is no easy task.

Last season he saddled Punjabi to win the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with stablemate Binocular half a length behind, and also landed the Triumph Hurdle with Zaynar.

But while Henderson is tempted to see the talented trio kept apart in the two-mile hurdling division this season, Zaynar's owner, bookmaker Victor Chandler, would like to see the grey develop into a Champion Hurdle prospect.

Chandler said: "At the moment, Zaynar is galloping but a decision is yet to be made as to his targets for this season. Nicky thinks he is more of a stayer than a Champion Hurdler, whereas I think you need to be a hell of a stayer to win the Champion Hurdle these days! 

"Whichever way we go we are expecting a big season from him as he is a hugely gifted horse with a terrific temperament."

Henderson is in no rush to unleash any of his big guns and revealed that Binocular could head to Ireland over the winter.

"I don't know where we'll start them off, because we are waiting for rain," he said. "We've got Binocular, Punjabi and Zaynar, but it is pointless running them against each other, especially to start with.

"Zaynar is still a baby, but he's done well over the summer. He has grown in stature and physique, more so than any other horse. I've may start him in the Ascot Hurdle over two-and-a-half miles on 21 November.

"Binocular won't take the same route as he did last year, though the Boylesports.com International Hurdle at Cheltenham on 12 December will be part of the plan before the Champion Hurdle. I don't want to head straight to the Champion with him. There will be something in between.

"At some stage I think he'll head to Ireland but that might be a brave thing to do, taking on the best Irish hurdlers on their own patch." 

The 58-year-old former champion trainer, who saddled his first winner since returning from a three-month ban for using a prohibited substance on the Queen's Moonlit Path when Tetlami won at Exeter yesterday, also had a warning for punters.

"It's obviously nice to get that one on the board, but to be honest most of mine have been in need of their first run," he said. "We haven't been able to do much at home because of the lack of rain."