Four years after Rooster Booster's Champion Hurdle victory, an action replay is on the cards: same owner, Terry Warner; same trainer, Philip Hobbs; same jockey, Richard Johnson; same colour horse.

But comparisons are not wholly accurate. Despite both owning the distinction of grey coats, Rooster Booster and Detroit City, favourite for Tuesday's showpiece, are animals of contrasting hue.

Firstly, their physique. Two Rooster Boosters would fit inside Detroit City, who was sold to go jumping because he grew too enormous to go to the States to race on the Flat.

"He's huge, more than 17 hands, " said Warner. "When I first saw him, I thought he'd make a lovely chaser. What he's done over hurdles is almost a bonus; I can see him winning a Gold Cup in three years." The temperament equation does not balance, either. Rooster Booster lived on his nerves, Detroit City doesn't seem to have any. "He is extremely laid-back, " said Warner, who gets to know his colourbearers well on their summer breaks at his home in Gloucestershire. "Very relaxed about life, you can go in the paddock and just put your arm round him. Out with other horses, Rooster was a bit of a wimp; you'd put the bowls of feed down and he'd wait and go to the last one left. But not Detroit, he has a bit more to him." In terms of pedigree, the two horses are the pauper and the prince. Rooster Booster was from plebeian stock.

Detroit City is bred to win a Classic on the Flat, a son of top Kentucky stallion Kingmambo. At the same fiveyear-old stage of their lives sparely-made, late-developing Rooster Booster had raced just once, unsuccessfully; strong, precocious Detroit City has won 12 of his 17 races and earned more than �400,000.

Despite the differences Warner is looking forward to more of the same. "It takes a really good horse to recover from a mistake at the last like he did last time at Sandown, " he said. "We won the Champion Hurdle with a handicapper last time, but this horse has something else.

Class."