Alan King seeking Yanworth improvement for Champion Hurdle

Alan King admits Yanworth will have to improve on his recent Wincanton win if he is to make his presence felt in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival.The seven-year-old is unbeaten in three hurdles outings so far this term, winning the Coral Hurdle at Ascot back in November, before adding the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Kingwell at Wincanton to his haul.However, Yanworth failed to set the world alight at the West Country venue, beating Ch'Tibello just a length in the Grade Two affair, and King admits he will have to produce a higher level of form if he is to figure in the March 14 feature.He said: "He did a couple of canters this morning and all is well."I was very happy with him at Wincanton and I made no secret that we went there undercooked and I just wanted to get a run into him."He will come on for it, but he will need to."Yanworth is the general 4-1 second-favourite for the Champion Hurdle behind fellow JP McManus-owned runner Buveur D'Air.