Dato Star is clear second favourite for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle after his runaway win in the Red Square Energising Haydock Park Champion Hurdle Trial today.
Ladbrokes slashed the gelding's odds for the Cheltenham showpiece from 20-1 in to 6-1 behind dual champion Istabraq, who is quoted at 1-2 (from 4-7).
The Malcolm Jefferson-trained Dato Star took the Grade Two Haydock Park contest by no less than 17 lengths from Relkeel to make it nine wins from 15 starts to date under National Hunt rules.
Martin Pipe's Far Cry finished a further three and a half lengths adrift in third place and was removed from Ladbrokes' betting on the Champion Hurdle, for which he had been 8-1 second favourite.
Smurfit Champion Hurdle: Ladbrokes betting: 1-2 Istabraq (4-7), 6-1 Dato Star (20-1), 14-1 Hors La Loi III, 16-1 Katarino, 20-1 bar.
