NICKY HENDERSON thinks Spirit Son is ‘a bit special’ and could be the dark horse among his three StanJames.com Champion Hurdle hopefuls.

The Seven Barrows handler has won the Cheltenham Festival showpiece five times and will send Grandouet, 2010 Champion Hurdler Binocular and Spirit Son to Prestbury Park on March 13.

Spirit Son, though, is the one Henderson feels has the ability to land the Grade One contest.

He is yet to run this term but looked exciting when second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before beating Cue Card by an impressive 30 lengths at Aintree.

Henderson said: “He looked very special at Aintree and I think he’s a very talented horse. Whether he’s going to mix it with these boys this year we are about to find out.”

Grandouet and Binocular won the International Hurdle and Christmas Hurdle respectively and Henderson added: “Grandouet fell over at Wincanton in the Elite Hurdle which was bad luck but he’s looked very good the last two times.

“He proved last time at Cheltenham that he stays two miles and that he can go up the hill. He’s having a bit of a break at the moment. We’ll freshen him up and he’ll have one run before it.

“He’s got a lot of natural speed and talent and I’d back him in a battle. He was a bit weak last year and is a lot stronger now.

“With him (Binocular) we’ve got things to do and time to do it. He was better at Kempton, but we can still have him better than that.

“He will almost certainly have another run before Cheltenham.

“AP (McCoy) will probably ride Binocular and the toss-up (for Barry Geraghty) will be between Grandouet and Spirit Son. Grandouet has done it this year, but Spirit Son might be a bit special.”

TODAY’S NAP: No No Bingo (3pm Huntingdon).