Baracouda - banker of the week.

By Carl Llewellyn

Baracouda is going for a third win in the Ladbroke World Hurdle and I can't see him getting beaten - he looks the certainty of the whole meeting.

He has got nothing like Iris's Gift this year to contend with.

Crystal D'Ainay is second favurite for the race and to be honest I have not been impressed with him at all.

I don't like his attitude.

He had the visor on last time and I think he will wear blinkers this time and they are going to have to make a massive difference for him to beat Baracouda.

Tony McCoy has told me that Baracouda is a tricky horse to ride.

Thierry Doumen used to get a lot of stick but that was unfair.

When you settle the horse, he goes completely to sleep and you start to worry that he is going nowhere.

But then you pick him up and he starts to take off so Tony said that he is quite interesting to ride.

But he has got to know him now and when he appears not to be travelling that well he can actually get into a challenging position very quickly.

He has lot of confidence in the horse.

If Rule Supreme takes his chance I think that he has a lot of ability.

He could be the main threat - if anything can beat Baracouda he could be the one.

Cheltenham suits him and he got close to Baracouda at Windsor in what was admittedly a falsely-run race.

If the favourite had an off-day Rule Supreme could be the one to benefit.