The premise was for a race that might throw some light on the current pecking order for next year’s Champion Hurdle. The end result of Saturday’s meeting at Cheltenham did produce a new ante-post favourite for the race, but by a somewhat circuitous route.

The boylesports.com International Hurdle brought together Nicky Henderson’s Champion Hurdle winner, Punjabi, and Celestial Halo, who he had beaten by just a neck. This time the places were well and truly reversed with Celestial Halo finishing 11 lengths ahead of Punjabi. Trouble was that Khyber Kim was another two and a quarter lengths in front of the pair of them.

Cue instant shredding of ante-post markets and step forward Zaynar, another of the seemingly endless supply of classy Henderson hurdlers. He was promoted past the likes of Binocular – another Henderson horse who somewhat blotted his copybook when finishing only fifth in the “Fighting Fifth” Hurdle at Newcastle last month – and Irish contender Hurricane Fly – who had been beaten first time out this season at Punchestown – to head the ante-post list.

And that was before he ran in the Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle over an extended two and a half miles. As an unbeaten Triumph Hurdle winner the bookmakers were taking no chances and made a final offer of 1-5 as the starting tape went up but, jumping the last, it appeared a shrewd enough investment as Zaynar coasted home six lengths clear of Cape Tribulation.

Whether Zeynar justifies his position in the market, for beating a horse who is rated 17lbs his inferior at level weights, can be argued either way. Those making the case against can point to the way in which Zaynar can seem to lose concentration during the early part of his races, only paying attention when Barry Geraghty started to get serious with him.

Those wishing to state the case for can suggest that if Zaynar can win like that he may well be a seriously good horse and it should be noted that Henderson has chosen not to use the cheekpieces that Zaynar wore in the Triumph for either of his wins this season, which have been at distances significantly above two miles. The plan is to keep that measure in reserve for when the horse drops back in distance, which he will because any thoughts of a move to the staying division are not in the trainer’s mind and it should not be forgotten that two champion hurdlers – Granville Again and Morely Street – both won this race as well.

Punjabi is rapidly becoming the forgotten champion hurdler with punters but Henderson said before the race that this was the starting point and, as he proved three years running with the fragile See You Then, there is no trainer better at having a horse ready for the big day.

The news from Ireland was that Willie Mullins is holding a watching brief with Hurricane Fly before making a decision over whether to run him in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown . “I’m trying to get Hurricane Fly out at Leopardstown at Christmas. He had one bit of work last week, but none this week as I just thought he was a bit under the weather,” Mullins said this weekend. “He’s in great form but he gave a cough or two during the week and that just upset me, so I’m minding him rather than trying to get him to Leopardstown. If we can get him to Leopardstown, that’s what I want to do.”

Which still leaves Khyber Kim, who is proving to be one of the revelations of the season. Clearly he was well handicapped when he won the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and this victory represented a whole new level of performance for a horse who appears to have turned a corner after a series of health and injury problems. The premise that he has reached the peak of his potential may yet prove to be wrong.

Paul Wheeler