BINOCULAR is likely to run in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham should he please connections in a crucial final workout today.

Only last month trainer Nicky Henderson ruled Binocular out of the big race, in which he was a close third 12 months ago, due to a muscle problem.

However, the JP McManusowned gelding has shown signs of improvement and Henderson believes the horse is on the way back to his best with the Tuesday feature looming large.

Binocular came through a vital test on Wednesday when champion jockey Tony McCoy schooled him over 13 flights of hurdles at Henderson’s stables in Lambourn.

‘‘He had a hiccup, but he’s back now. He’s in really good form, AP (McCoy) came down and schooled him yesterday and we think we are three-quarters of the way to getting him back to where we need him to be,’’ the Seven Barrows trainer said.

‘‘There’s just one more bit of work to do when again AP’s going to come and ride him. And if he’s happy there I think we’ll give him the green light.

‘‘He hasn’t impressed everybody all season. He won his last start very easily, but even so it wasn’t quite the same Binocular we know we can have.’’ Henderson takes hope from the fact Binocular was only beaten a length and a half by current favourite Go Native in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton despite being under par.

‘‘We weren’t happy with him on the day, it wasn’t him, yet he was still only beaten a length and a half by Go Native, so we only have to find two lengths and we are back where we are,’’ Henderson remarked.

The trainer has two other big guns in the Champion – last year’s winner Punjabi and 2009 Triumph Hurdle victor Zaynar.

He said of the latter: ‘‘I’m very happy with Zaynar. There was that debacle when we went to Kelso (beaten at 1-14) but we had to get runs into these horses.

‘‘He’s back here in good form and he schooled the other day.

He’s in very good order, at the end of the day you’ll find him going further than two miles but at the moment he’s a very smart horse.’’

■ Dual winner Master Minded heads 14 possibles for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday.

The seven-year-old, trained by Paul Nicholls, bids to emulate Badsworth Boy, who won the two-mile showpiece three times from 1983 to 1985.

Master Minded showed he had recovered from a rib injury with victory in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last month.

One of his main rivals next week looks like being stablemate Twist Magic, who has been in fine form this season.