Kohima, Dec 02 (PTI) The country's top TSD rallyists were all set to compete in the JK Tyre Hornbill Rally, with the defending champion Gagan Sethi promising another valiant attack on the title on Monday.

Held in the backdrop of the famous Hornbill Festival, Gagan Sethi and his co-driver Sabatullah Khan were all excited and raring to go in their Maruti Suzuki Gypsy.

"It is great to be back here in Nagaland for the Hornbill Rally. I come here as defending champion and I know that I am the favourite this year too," Gagan said.

"Of course, a lot has changed in the last three years and a number of new faces and new contenders have emerged. But I am confident that we will be able to defend the title," he added.

The TSD rally which will run over a distance of 55 km is going to be tricky as the rallyists will not be given prior information about the course or the triple cautions. They will be handed the tulips just a minute before the flag-off, making their task that much more challenging.

"That's the charm of a good TSD rally," another top contnder Samuel, who competed in the Open class, said.

"The mystery is what turns this into a level playing-field and we have to rely on our instincts and calculations to get over the line first. We are really excited about tomorrow and are confident of finishing on the podium," he added.

The rally, held under the aegis of FMSCI, will be flagged-off Monday at 8:30 am from the Indira Gandhi Stadium and end at the Heritage Village Kisama.

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