Melon among seven entries for International Hurdle
Melon, My Tent Or Yours and The New One feature among seven contenders for the Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The Willie Mullins-trained Melon had a big reputation long before he made a successful hurdling debut at Leopardstown in January and despite his inexperience he was joint-favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March.
While he came up short in the Festival curtain raiser, he was far from disgraced in finishing second and having made a successful reappearance at Down Royal last month, he would be a fascinating runner if making the journey across the Irish Sea for this weekend's Grade Two contest.
While Mullins has not previously won the International Hurdle, Nicky Henderson, the trainer of My Tent Or Yours, has saddled three previous victors in Geos (2000), Binocular (2008) and Grandouet (2011).
My Tent Or Yours was runner-up in last year's International to the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained The New One and has finished second in three renewals of the Champion Hurdle.
The New One also won this event in 2013 and 2014 and looks set to bid for the four-timer off the back of finishing fourth under a big weight in last month's Greatwood Hurdle.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Old Guard is another previous winner of the race, having struck gold in 2015, and could bid to regain his crown. Evan Williams' John Constable, Dan Skelton's Ch'Tibello and Dell' Arca from David Pipe's yard complete the entries.
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