Pierse Hurdle to lose Dhaudeloup

Trainer Richard Fahey has warned that Dhaudeloup is set to miss the valuable Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow week.

Instead the six-year-old is set to tackle the Tote Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton on January 20th.

"I leave the plans up to the owners as they are clever people," said Fahey yesterday. "I know they are keen to go to Kempton so I would say it's unlikely he will run in Ireland." Grinkov, second in the Future Champions Novices' Hurdle at Leopardstown after Christmas, has hardened to 13 to 2 favourite with Paddy Power.

British challenger Master Tern, trained by Jonjo O'Neill, is the 8 to 1 joint second favourite for the race previously known as the Ladbroke Hurdle.

Master Tern, owned by JP McManus, ended the last campaign with a victory in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The six-year-old was runnerup to Tensile at Haydock last month on his seasonal debut.

Britain is likely to be thinly-represented in the two-mile contest, though O'Neill and McManus have a possible backup in Clifton Fox, while Somerset-based Philip Hobbs can choose between Rooster Booster and Reiziger.

Paddy Power betting: 13/2 Grinkov, 8/1 Master Tern, Spokesman, 10/1 Masalarian, 11/1 Kapok, 12/1 The Gatherer, Tryphaena and Theseus, 14/1 Back On Top, Creux Noir, French Style, Moving On Up, Ricardo, Rooster Booster. 16/ 1 bar.