Aintree Preview Usually an 11-length Champion Hurdle winner doesn't have many questions to answer, but Rooster Booster faces a new challenge in today's Aintree Hurdle.
For a horse that thrives around Cheltenham's undulations, the flat Liverpool track doesn't look perfect, and there is also the question of the extra half mile for Rooster Booster.
Against that is the ease with which the Philip Hobbs-trained grey won the Champion Hurdle, pulling Richard Johnson's arms out down the hill and powering clear up the straight.
Self Defense and Like-A-Butterfly were well beaten, while the former champion Hors La Loi didn't even start, but a fall ruled out evaluation of Copeland's merit.
Tony McCoy's mount should be fine with the trip and the track and if there is a problem with the favourite, Copeland looks the one that could take advantage.
The Martin Pipe team may also pick up the Grade Two Bumper with the unbeaten Vodka Bleu.
The ex-Eddie Hales horse was a big-money buy on the strength of a Leopardstown debut and favourable comparisons by Hales with Pizarro.
Vodka Bleu has already won for Pipe and looks up to beating the Irish duo John Oliver and Red Knight.
Take Flite won the jumps-versus-flat-jockeys challenge at the Curragh under Charlie Swan and is well fancied to follow that up in the opening handicap hurdle.
He looks the best of the Irish runners, although Newhall at her best could not be ignored either. Slight preference, however, is for Altay.
The Naas and Thurles winner Rathgar Beau has been prepared specifically for the Grade One Maghull Chase but his form with the likes of Schwartzhalle could be found out by Impek.
The Henrietta Knight runner only found Azertyuiop too good in the Arkle at Cheltenham and any form near that should be enough.
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