Racing:Irish raiders provide two-thirds of the remaining nine possibles in Saturday's eagerly-awaited WBX.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
Charles Byrnes has left in his dual Grade One winner Solwhit, while Noel Meade, who won the race with Harchibald two years ago, reopposes with Muirhead.
Former champion hurdler Sublimity, second 12 months ago to subsequent champion Punjabi in the rescheduled race at Wetherby, is due to travel over again.
Al Eile, three times a winner of the Aintree Hurdle, Supreme Novices’ Hurdle scorer Go Native and the Sabrina Harty-trained Won In The Dark complete the Irish assault.
The home team is headed by Nicky Henderson’s Binocular, third to Punjabi in the Champion Hurdle in March.
Malcolm Jefferson, who won the race with Dato Star in 1998, has entered Cape Tribulation.
Andy Turnell’s smart dual-purpose performer Blue Bajan is the only other English-trained possible