Happy Harry makes the Betfair cut

Twenty-two runners set to line up for £155,000 Saturday showpiece

HARRY Whittington’s Affaire D’Honneur is among the horses to make the cut and will line up or Saturday’s £155,000 Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

With the going against some potential runners - including Jonjo O’ Neill’s World Hurdle star More Of That, withdrawn from the Betfair Novices Chase on the day - the field will comprise 22 runners, five of those from Ireland's champion jump trainer Willie Mullins.

His team is headed by the J P McManus-owned Blazer under Barry Geraghty, the likely favourite, Dicosimo, Kalkir, Ivan Grozny and Buiseness Sivola.

Mullins has yet to have a horse placed in the race from 11 runners, but Paul Nicholls has 6/1 second favourite Modus in the mix while heading the weights is last year's runner-up Cheltenian, with Tom O’Brien riding the Philip Hobbs-trainded horse.

Hobbs also has War Sound and Sternrubin in the race.

Th current Betfair prices are:- 7/2 Blazer; 6/1 Modus; 7/1 Sternrubin; 8/1 War Sound; 12/1 Affaire D'Honneur, Forest Bihan, Starchitect; 14/1 Kalkir, Dicosimo; 16/1 Zarib; 20/1 Agrapart, Buiseness Sivola, Cheltenian, Mad Jack Mytton; 25/1 Flying Angel; 33/1 Baby King, Champagne At Tara, Ivan Grozny, Matorico, Montbazon, Waxies Dargle; 50/1 Chieftains Choice.