Adrian Maguire was today handed the ride on big-money buy Mister Banjo in the Prix Renard du Vivier at Auteuil a week on Sunday.
A three-time hurdle winner for Nicky Henderson last season, Mister Banjo was purchased by owner John Hales at the Doncaster Spring Sales for a record 240,000 guineas and sent to Paul Nicholls.
Explaining the booking of Maguire to partner the four-year-old, his new trainer said: 'Adrian has experience around Auteuil which Mr Hales wanted and the likes of Mick Fitzgerald, who rode him all last season, and Joe Tizzard will have to be at Cheltenham on the same day.
'Adrian can do the weight as the horse has only got 9st 13lb so it all seemed to fit in nicely and I`m sure he`ll have a cracking ride around there, although it`s obviously bound to be a hot little contest.'
Mister Banjo`s only defeat last season came when he finished 10th in the Elite Racing Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham. He had previously notched easy victories at Cheltenham (twice) and Chepstow.
Nicholls added: 'He`s fine in himself and looks very well at the moment.
'It`s obviously going to be a bit tough for him this season with a handicap rating of 146 so that`s why we`ve chosen to go to France as the ground there is going to be on the soft side which is what he wants.
'The chances are he won`t have that many runs this winter as the long-term plan is to send him novice chasing next autumn and there`s no point in overfacing him with the future very much in our minds.'
