Festival quotes for So Young

So Young earned quotes for both the two mile, five furlongs Neptune Novices' Hurdle and three mile Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the 2011 Cheltenham Festival following his impressive win at Leopardstown yesterday.

Willie Mullins' charge was a triple winner on the Flat in his native France and ran away with the two-mile, four furlongs Madigans Maiden Hurdle, slamming Harpsy Cord by 16 lengths.

The four-year-old is now best-price 14/1 (Victor Chandler and Stan James) for the Neptune, whilst Skybet were even more impressed and introduced So Young at 10/1 for the Neptune, with spokesman Matt Doyle explaining: "The money for the favourite told us he was strongly fancied to make a winning debut and he has slammed this field to give Willie Mullins another useful string to his bow among his novice hurdlers."

A number of bookmakers also promoted So Young to favouritism in the longer Alfred Bartlett Novices Hurdle in March, for which he is now best-price 10/1 (Bet365).

Another impressive winner at Leopardstown yesterday was Pandorama who claimed the much-awaited Lexus Chase. Pandorama won the three mile event with a very impressive performance and is now considered by bookmakers to be a serious threat for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup for which the seven-year-old is now as short as 10/1 and best-price 16/1 (Victor Chandler and Bet365).

The victorious contender of the Lexus Chase was always considered a champion by his fans and connections because of his great potential and talent. Nonetheless, this is the first time Pandorama has been considered the top Irish Gold Cup challenger by the bookies.

His trainer Noel Meade, who had previously seen the dominating novice hurdler and chaser pulling up before midway in Newbury’s Hennessy Gold Cup, said, “He might not have beaten any Kauto Star's, but you’d have to think he will improve for the experience.”

However, he sounded a note of caution when quizzed about the upcoming Cheltenham Festival: “We can dare to dream after that, but I wouldn’t run him on anything better than yielding. He’ll come back here for the Hennessy in February and we’ll take it one race at a time.”

In other ante-post Festival news, it has been revealed by trainer Gordon Elliott that sensational Ebor winner Dirar could be set for a tilt at the County Hurdle next March.

The six-year-old finished fifth in the Group Two Doncaster Cup and had finished behind Overturn in the Galway Hurdle after his success at York. Now Elliot will be looking for a suitable all-weather contest to warm up Dirar ahead of his tilt at the world’s most prestigious race meeting.

"Dirar is a great little horse. He'll probably have a run somewhere on the Flat in the last week in February or early March and then he'll go for the County Hurdle," Elliott explained.

"There's no Dundalk at that stage so we'll have to travel with him, but he doesn't mind that so the County Hurdle will be first on his agenda. Hopefully one of the tracks might put a race on for him but I haven't looked in the programme book yet. That's what I have in my mind though.

"I think the County Hurdle should suit him well," he confirmed and Dirar is now best-price 14/1 (Stan James) for the two mile, one furlong hurdle in March.

Today will see other Cheltenham fancies testing their credentials. Ghizao, favourite with some bookmakers for the Arkle Chase, attempts to enhance his reputation in a fiercely competitive novice chase at Newbury.

The Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old, who stormed to a Grade 2 triumph at Cheltenham last month, is Arkle favourite with best-price 12/1 on offer from Paddy Power, who also quote two of Ghizao's Newbury rivals towards the head of their ante-post Arkle betting.

Captain Chris, runner-up to Ghizao last time, returns having undergone a breathing operation, while Nicky Henderson takes the wraps off Surfing, fifth in a Grade 3 chase when last seen in his native France.

Still trained in France is Guillaume Macaire's Lucky To Be, while others of interest in the nine-runner line-up are the smart Dee Ee Williams and Little George.

Previous winners of the two mile 2½f event include Kauto Star and Planet Of Sound.

Big Zeb, Zaidpour and Hurricane Fly all feature on star-studded Leopardstown card later today.

Last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Big Zeb continues his preparation for a repeat bid at the top two-milers’ race over fences at the Festival when contesting the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase, a race he won in 2008.

Colm Murphy’s charge faces Golden Silver, whom he outpointed on his reappearance in the Fortria Chase at Navan last month. However, the latter, who landed this Grade 1 event last year, scored in decisive fashion at Fairyhouse subsequently and is expected to push Big Zeb harder on this occasion.

However, both could be thwarted by Captain Cee Bee, who made a good start to the season when landing a Grade 3 at Naas at the end of October. This strong-travelling gelding’s sole disappointment over fences was when well held in the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, but he was found to have broken a blood vessel on that occasion.

The nine-year-old proved that effort all wrong when scoring at the Punchestown Festival a month later, and he looked poised to beat the top-class Sizing Europe before falling at the final fence in the Irish Arkle over this C&D last season.

If Captain Cee Bee does beat Golden Silver, there’s likely to be rich compensation for the Mullins stable in the two Grade 1 contests over hurdles on this card, however. Mullins’ Zaidpour has looked the real deal in his two starts over timber since being recruited from France, hacking up in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse earlier this month.

The four-year-old is currently best-price 9/2 (Paddy Power) second-favourite for the Supreme Novices Hurdle and best-price 6/1 (Stan James) favourite for the Neptune Novices Hurdle at the Festival. He will therefore be a very short price for the Future Champions Novice Hurdle later today.

Ireland’s champion National Hunt trainer also saddles Hurricane Fly in the Leopardstown Festival Hurdle. He was beaten by Solwhit at Punchestown last winter, but has mastered that rival in their two meetings since, including in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse two weeks ago, and would establish himself as the leading Irish Champion Hurdle contender by winning this race.

Tomorrow at Leopardstown Mikael d'Haguenet races in an extended two mile Novices Chase. So unlucky at Fairyhouse recently when coming down at the last when seemingly set for victory, the 2009 Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle winner should prove too classy for the likes of Noble Prince and Loosen My Load. Mikael d'Haguenet can currently be backed at best-price 8/1 (Victor Chandler) for the 2011 RSA Chase and best-price 25/1 (Bet365) for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Ghizao is a best-price 12/1 Arkle Chase favourite ahead of his run at Newbury today

Cue Card set for pre-Festival outing

Cue Card now looks set to have another outing before the Cheltenham Festival following a change of heart by Colin Tizzard.

As the Cheltenham Festival is still the best part of three months away, the Dorset based trainer believes there's plenty of time to give his exciting prospect another race.

Winner of the Champion Bumper at last season's Festival, Cue Card has made a superb start to his career over hurdles.

After easily winning novice events at Aintree and Cheltenham, he was an excellent second to Menorah in the International back at Prestbury Park two weeks ago.

Tizzard's immediate thoughts after that run was to save him for the Festival in March, for which he has a choice of races, but has now decided to give him another outing in-between.

"He's ticking over nicely. We will probably run him again before Cheltenham," said Tizzard.

"It's just that it's three months off and I can't see any real reason why we should wait until that time of the season.

"We'll be looking for something towards the end of January. Any race six or seven weeks before the Festival would be ample time."

Cue Card is favourite at best-price 3/1 (Bet365) for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, and a best-price 25/1 shot (Sportingbet) for the Champion Hurdle.

Cue Card could be set for either the 2011 Supreme Novices Hurdle or Champion Hurdle

Options open for exciting Mikael

Willie Mullins is keeping all options open for his exciting young chaser Mikael D'Haguenet following his comeback run at Fairyhouse and is to enter him for several races at the Cheltenham Festival, including the Gold Cup.

The 2009 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle winner fell at the final fence when holding every chance in the Drinmore Novices' Chase last Wednesday, his debut run over fences in Ireland and his first race in over 19 months.

The French-bred son of Lavirco has always looked a potentially exciting prospect when sent over fences, and that view is still very much alive despite his fall. Speaking about the horses' mishap, Mullins said: "What happened at the last fence was the sort of thing that can happen to any horse, especially a novice, and he has been off the track for a long time."

Whilst currently a best-price 8/1 (Victor Chandler) for the RSA Chase, behind favourite Time For Rupert, the exciting novice is far from certain to contest the event, as the County Carlow handler is keeping his options open:

"He'll be entered in everything at Cheltenham. He won the Ballymore over two miles five (furlongs) there, but he has plenty of speed over two. After two five I'm not sure where we go. The RSA is three mile one and the Gold Cup is three mile two and that's another ball game.

"We've never been worried about him staying. He's one of those horses that can change gear and go with faster horses as well. He appears to have retained his ability and that's a huge question he answered the other day. It was good enough he jumped well, but when a horse has been off for so long you often wonder whether they come back as good.

"I'm looking at the entries for Christmas. He's in the two-mile novice (Bord Na Mona With Nature Novice Chase) on St Stephen's Day and he's in the three-mile novice later in the week. We might consider giving him another week and come back for a beginners' chase or a Listed or Graded chase somewhere.

"He appears to have come out of the race well and has been ridden out the last couple of days."

No less a judge than Ruby Walsh has always enthused about the 6-year-old: “I have always liked him; I think he's a machine" and he is currently best-price 25/1 (Bet365) for Gold Cup success.

However, running an inexperienced novice (however talented) in the race, can prove extremely dangerous. Connections of Lanzarote and Gloria Victus, to name just two, learned to their cost that the Gold Cup is a race that take's no prisoners, and going to the well too early can sometimes prove fatal.

Mikael d'Haguenet (left) leads the field home in the 2009 Ballymore Properties Hurdle

Gold Cup entry for on-song Rupert

Star novice Time For Rupert will be given an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Festival in March.

The six-year-old looks like going right to the top over the larger obstacles judged by his first two successes at Cheltenham, where he again won as he liked last Saturday.

Trainer Paul Webber is considering stepping his charge out of novice company for the Argento Chase back at Prestbury Park on January 29 and if he were to find the target there, the Gold Cup could then be considered.

"He got a tiny little over-reach, but other than that he seems absolutely fine. There's nothing that's worrying either him or us," said Webber.

"He's had two wonderfully smooth passages around Cheltenham, I'm sure he won't get another one but it couldn't have gone any better so far.

"There are no novice races at the next two Cheltenham meetings that would suit him and there are not many novice races that would particularly suit him elsewhere, so the Argento Chase has to be an option.

"The timing of the Argento Chase would be good, but if that wasn't on for some reason, there is the Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby the following week. There is a chance he could go straight to the Festival in March, as we don't want to run him for the sake of running him if the timing is not right."

Asked if Time For Rupert would be considered for the Gold Cup if he did did win the Argento Chase, Webber replied: "I just don't know is the answer to that. I would imagine he'll have an entry in the Gold Cup, as who knows what might happen.

"We may have a cloud of locusts or a typhoon on one day that might not happen on another day. So he'll have an entry, but I'm pretty sure we'll work towards the RSA Chase to start with."

Time For Rupert is currently best-price 4/1 (Totesport) favourite for the RSA Chase if he does stick against the novices, while he is available at best-price 25/1 (Bet365) for the Gold Cup.

In other Festival ante-post news, Tom George reported Tartak could line up for the Ryanair Chase after the horse won the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Newbury on Wednesday.

Bookmaker William Hill quoted odds of 20/1 for the Cheltenham race after jockey Paddy Brennan rallied Tartak to beat Paul Nicholl’s Breedsbreeze by half a length in the 2m 4f feature race.

The race was marred by the tragic death of Twist Magic, whose fatal fall when leading at the second last left his stablemate Breedsbreeze in front. Tartak had looked outpaced from three out, but stayed on to lead near the finish at odds of 11/4.

Tartak was winning on his second appearance of the season having finished 29 lengths third to Monet’s Garden over 2m 4f at Aintree on his seasonal debut at Aintree in October.

George believes his seven-year-old will stay 3 miles and has his eye on the three mile contest at Aintree in April with a tilt at the 2m 5f Ryanair Chase on day three of the Cheltenham Festival also on the cards.

George said after the race: “This horse deserved a big one. He has been a bit ring-rusty at this time of year before but is sharper now. I think he'll get three miles at Aintree and the meeting in April will be his big target, but we will think about the Ryanair at Cheltenham."

Time For Rupert finishing second to Big Buck's in the 2010 World Hurdle, but clear of the rest of the field

Mullins stars advertise their Festival claims

Trainer Willie Mullins had a number of his 2011 Festival hopefuls on show on Wednesday at Fairyhouse, where he saddled a treble of winners.

Since joining Mullins in May 2008 Hurricane Fly has always looked a potential Champion Hurdle winner and he ran out a mightily impressive winner of the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle, his second consecutive Grade 1 victory.

Sent off the 11/4 second favourite behind his regular rival Solwhit, who had the benefit of race experience after a winning seasonal debut at Punchestown, the 6 year-old's superior flat speed proved too much for Charles Byrne's charge, who finished a gallant second.

The 1 1/2 length success in the 2m 4f contest seemed to surprise Mullins, who said: "I thought Solwhit would definitely have a fitness edge on this sort of ground. The likes of Punchestown where the ground is good you can get away with it if you're less fit, but on this sort of ground it tells.

"I was more than surprised that he was able to come out with a performance like that today. Paul got him back for a breather. He pulled too hard for the first mile and three-quarters. I thought he would flatten out about the last, but he jumped it like a professional and put his head down."

Leopardstown's Festival Hurdle over Christmas, followed by the Irish Champion Hurdle on 23rd January would be the logical progression towards a trip to Cheltenham in March, for the ex-French trained gelding.

Champion Hurdle race sponsors Stan James reacted by shortening the horse to 7/2 favourite, but others were less impressed and William Hill are currently offering a stand-out 11/2.

Colm Murphy was delighted with Voler La Vedette's performance to take third. The mare put her best work in at the finish to claim minor honours and her main target is likely to be the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, in which she was third to Quevega last spring.

"I was delighted with her, she ran a cracker. When she settles she is a really good mare and she settled really well for Andrew (Lynch)," said the County Wexford trainer. "I'm not sure where she'll go next but she'll probably have to take on the big boys again. The mares' race again at Cheltenham would look to be a target."

She is currently best-price 5/1 (Victor Chandler) for the Mares' contest in March.

In our Cheltenham Festival ante-post portfolio last week we recommended backing Zaidpour at 12/1 for the 2011 Supreme Novices Hurdle, and that price has now long gone after he coasted to victory in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.

Paul Townend settled the exciting four-year-old, 4/7 favourite for the contest, at the rear of the six-runner field, where he comfortably went about his business before blitzing the opposition in the straight.

Despite a minor blunder at the second-last, Zaidpour remained on the bridle and drew comfortably clear at the last flight to win with an authority that will thrill race fans and unnerve rival connections in equal measure.

Mullins said: "I'm very happy with that. He was a bit novicey at first but once he settled he jumped well. We'll look at the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown (on December 27) and probably go there for the experience.

Bookmakers reaction was to cut Zaidpour into clear second-favouritism (behind Cue Card) for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, for which he is now best-price 5/1 (Paddy Power).

Mullins and jockey Paul Townend completed their Fairyhouse three-timer when Golden Silver ran out a ready winner of the Hilly Way Chase, beating Zaarito by four and a half lengths.

Golden Silver had pleased Mullins with his second to Champion Chase winner Big Zeb at Navan last month and Townend had few concerns aboard the eight-year-old, who scooted clear after jumping the last.

It was a second win in the race for Golden Silver, who was trimmed to best-price 14/1 (William Hill) for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.

It wasn't quite the perfect day for Mullins and Townend, as Mikael D'Haguenet, winner of the 2009 Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at the Festival, suffered a crashing, last-fence fall in the Drinmore Novice Chase.

The six-year-old, who was making his first start in almost 600 days and his first run over fences outside France, was travelling well alongside winner Jessies Dream and looked to be the stronger of the pair before crumpling upon landing at the last after appearing to lose his footing.

Mullins said: "His inexperience came against him at the last where he just stumbled on landing after jumping well. Hopefully he'll learn from it and it won't affect his confidence. That's novice chasing."

He was given a clean bill of health on Thursday and remains second favourite for the RSA Chase in March at best-price 8/1 (Paddy Power).

Mikael D'Haguenet - a potential superstar

December meeting summary

Cheltenham's December meeting last week provided the expected pointers for the Cheltenham Festival 2011, now just three months away.

There were any number of promising performances from both Festival veterans and young pretenders, with various ante-post Festival markets revised as a consequence.

In particular Menorah, Cue Card and Time For Rupert all recorded championship-standard performances and all now seem likely to be put away until the Festival in March.

Menorah assumed pole position in the Champion Hurdle ante-post market after a devastating display in what looked a very competitive International Hurdle on Saturday. He has always been a bit vulnerable in slowly-run races, so the inclusion of a pacemaker by trainer Philip Hobbs appears to have been a smart move, even if Nicene Creed was slightly ignored out in front.

But, travelling well on the heels of the unbeaten pair of four-year-olds Cue Card and Siliviniaco Conti round the last bend, Menorah showed a startling turn of pace to go between them running to the last flight and win the best hurdle race run this season by four and a half lengths.

“He did it very well,” said Hobbs. “He was a bit short of room round the last bend, so Richard [Johnson] had to wait rather than barge through, which wasn’t ideal but might have made it look a bit better than it actually was.”

As a result of which most bookmakers promoted him to 4/1 ante-post favouritism from around 9/1, with last season's winner Binocular now a best-price 5/1 (Bet365).

Those odds look set to stay solid through the winter with Hobbs on Sunday making clear his preference for the five-year-old - also successful at Cheltenham in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Greatwood Hurdle - to avoid the campaign's remaining trials: "We’ve always felt he’s better on better ground. He’s not certain to run again before the Champion."

Connections were not disappointed with Cue Card, who confirmed he is in the big league with a fine performance, but it may help them lower their sights back to the novice division come March. He is also likely to head straight to the Cheltenham Festival without another run according to trainer Colin Tizzard:

"He's fine, he's come back and eaten up. He's just had the hardest race of his life and I don't think he lost anything in defeat," said the Dorset handler.

"It was what racing is all about. Menorah with a pacemaker was going to grind us into the ground. From being stuck in a pocket, Menorah burst through and went from two lengths down to three lengths up in 10 strides. It was a magical race.

"We are mindful of the jewel we've got and he won't run again until the Festival now.
He'll be entered in both, no doubt. I've been talking to his owner Bob Bishop and we'll see what happens in the next month, but he won't run again. He doesn't need to.

"He ran in January last season and we didn't run him again until the Champion Bumper. We'll let him fill up and have a go at one of the races at the Festival this year. He's a beautiful horse and we want to have him like this for the next three or four years."

Cue Card can currently be backed at best-price 9/2 (Totesport) for the Supreme Novices Hurdle and best-price 25/1 (Sportingbet) for the Champion Hurdle.

Silviniaco Conti did not jump with the same fluency as he did at Ascot and was comfortably held by the front two. Paul Nicholls suggested that he may well have ran up light after a number of recent runs and that he would be better suited by a more evenly run race. A tilt at a Champion Hurdle trial at Haydock or Wincanton looks the most likely option and his current best-price for the Champion Hurdle is 16/1 with the new race sponsor Stan James, who will also refund losing ante-post bets on the race, up to £250, if Binocular wins (offer ends Christmas Day).

You will not see too many better displays of jumping by a seasoned handicap chaser let alone a novice than Time For Rupert put up in the DRS Contracts Novice Chase. Back up to three miles, the further they went the better he went and he galloped on strongly up the hill to beat Chicago Grey by eight lengths for trainer Paul Webber and jockey Will Kennedy.

“It’s an honour to have a horse like this and reasonably nerve-racking,” said Webber about the liver chestnut chaser who looks destined for greater things on the staying chase circuit than this term’s target, the RSA Chase for which he is now best-price 4/1 (Victor Chandler)

Somersby had proved unruly in the preliminaries where he slipped over, and his participation was in doubt. He ran on well despite making a mistake at the eighth and he will be seen to better effect when stepped up in trip and ideally, on better ground. He looks a very likely contender for the Ryanair Chase and the best-price 8/1 (Bet365) looks an attractive each-way bet.

Last season, Master Minded, the two-time Champion Chaser, lost his way and hearing him choke as he completed a workout, trainer Paul Nicholls decided they had nothing to lose by giving him a wind operation. It appeared to have worked when he won at Ascot last time, but with an even more imperious display to win the restaged Tingle Creek Chase, he looked right back to his best. Still only seven and with a few more years in him yet, he cruised up to the leader Petit Robin at the second-last and then powered up the hill to come home eight lengths clear.

“When he worked on Wednesday it was the first time I thought he was back to what he was two years ago,” said Nicholls. He is now best-price 2/1 (Bet365) to win a third Queen Mother Champion Chase next March.

Nicholls sent out four winners on Saturday, including top-weight Poquelin, who became the first horse ever to win the Vote AP Gold Cup on two occasions. Carrying a burden of 11st 12lb, less conditional jockey Ian Popham's 5lb claim, the seven-year-old found plenty after the last to see off the determined challenge of previous Cheltenham Festival victor Great Endeavour.

"It is a dream to ride horses like that," a clearly ecstatic Popham said.

"He made my life so easy. He had a lot of weight on his back so I was trying to hold on to him as long as I could. I am really chuffed with that. He is a brilliant horse and the going is definitely the key to him."

Nicholls has put down much of the repeat as being down to the horse's ability to act around the New course at Cheltenham but his conditional rider gave him the perfect ride - racing handily at all times and holding off Great Endeavour (who was in receipt of 16lbs) as they raced up the hill to the line. The trainer is likely to put him away until the Ryanair Chase at the Festival for which he is now best-price 6/1 (Paddy Power).

The form of this race seems to have a very solid look to it as the second was well fancied for the Paddy Power Gold Cup. As expected, he had come on for that run and whilst requiring plenty of encouragement from Timmy Murphy, he is only a six-year-old and he looks open to further improvement still.

Sunnyhillboy appeared to be going nowhere with five to jump though he stayed relentlessly up the hill to be third. Although a winner over two miles, he could be worth a try over further and it would be no surprise to see the owners having staying chases on their mind for the future.

Owner Paul Duffy already has a legitimate Cheltenham Gold Cup contender in Diamond Harry but he believes he has discovered a future heir to the greatest Festival prize by way of Friday's course winner Reve De Sivola.

Duffy is the figurehead of the Diamond Partnership, raised to such prominence when Diamond Harry landed the Hennessy a fortnight ago, and he does not hold back in his predictions for the younger horse.

Just five, Reve De Sivola needed to show a little more than when he was fourth on his first attempt over fences a month ago and the early signs were hardly encouraging. The 3/1 shot found himself right at the back after walking through the first couple but the whole shape of the race changed when the leader Othermix fell on jumping the water, bringing down Radium and hampering Wishfull Thinking.

Rebel Du Maquis was left out on his own but he ran out of steam before the last and Reve De Sivola picked him off, holding the brave Wishfull Thinking by a length and a quarter.

"He is relentless at the back-end of a race and his potential is unbelievable as a three-mile chaser," said Duffy.

"This is a Gold Cup horse of the future and the plan this season is to come back here at the end of January and then go for the two-and-a-half-miler (Jewson Novices Chase) at the Festival."

He is currently best-price 10/1 (Bet365) for the Jewson.

Midnight Chase earned the right to be considered for this season's Gold Cup after staging a remarkable comeback the Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase.

Neill Mulholland's gelding has now won four of his five starts over fences at Prestbury Park and rallied gallantly on the run-in after losing his lead to Presenting Forever with two to jump.

Mulholland said: "He was running off 155 today, which is a grand lot of weight to carry. He'll have a break now and be entered for the Gold Cup, with possibly one more run before, maybe in February.

"I don't think we'll beat the big boys, but everyone dreams about the Gold Cup and he is entitled to have a crack at it."

Midnight Chase was cut by bookmakers for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup with best-price now 25/1 (Totesport).

Sam Winner confirmed his prominence at the head of the JCB Triumph Hurdle market with a solid display of hurdling on Friday, making it two from two at Cheltenham in Triumph Hurdle trials.

Kept in mid-division, he took closer order with a spectacular jump at the fifth before leading two out and quickly putting the issue to bed. Paul Nicholls reported that he felt the ground was quick enough for him today and that while there is plenty to come for the future, he wouldn't be at his best on fast ground.

Already favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, bookmakers reacted by and large by trimming the three-year-old who is now best-price 9/2 (Totesport).

However, Sam Winner could have another Cheltenham Festival target according to trainer Paul Nicholls, who said: "He is a smart horse and I am pleased for Noel. The ground was quick enough for him and the faster they go the better. The best is yet to come.

"It is not set in stone that he will go for the Triumph, he will have an entry for the Supreme as well. He will make a chaser in time - that is what we bought him for."

Another trip to Prestbury Park is on the agenda, as Nicholls added: "He will not run at Christmas. His next run will be back here in January and then we will think about Cheltenham."

He is as short as 10/1 for the Supreme with some bookmakers and currently best-price 16/1 (Totesport).

Menorah (left) pulls clear of Cue Card (right) on Saturday to establish himself as favourite for the 2011 Champion Hurdle

December meeting set to provide Festival clues

Weather and conditions permitting, next weekend will see racing return to Cheltenham for the December meeting, with major handicaps and informative trials for the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The International meeting, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, is one of the most significant meetings at Cheltenham outside the Festival. Feature events include the International Hurdle, a major trial for the Champion Hurdle and the intended target of the unbeaten novice Cue Card, and the December Gold Cup, which this year will now be called the Vote AP Gold Cup, to support AP McCoy's bid to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The Grade One Tingle Creek Chase, re-routed from this weekend's abandoned meeting at Sandown, is also due to be added to the card at Cheltenham next Saturday.

The £150,000 Vote AP Gold Cup is the real punting conundrum, coming hot the heels of the Paddy Power Gold Cup and set to attract a number of the same horses.

It will certainly be the target for the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Little Josh. Sent off at 20/1 for the Paddy Power, the eight-year-old ran out a famous winner under the trainer's 18-year-old son Sam, a rising star if ever there was one.

It was another proud day at Cheltenham for the red-hot Twiston-Davies team, one they followed up when Sam steered the stable's Hello Bud to glory over the daunting National fences at Aintree just seven days later.

One word of caution, however - only three horses have done the double in the same season, the last being Exotic Dancer in 2006.

Sharing top billing at Prestbury Park is a fascinating Stan James International Hurdle, still better known as the 'Bula'. Last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle Menorah was rubber-stamped for this as soon as he defied a big weight in the Greatwood Hurdle on his return.

But adding significant spice to the mix is Colin Tizzard's bold plan to run Cue Card.
Quite possibly the next big thing, the four-year-old was sensational in wining the Champion Bumper in March as a 40/1 chance, and has taken to hurdles with the minimum of fuss, winning two from two without coming near to being extended.

But even with all that in mind, he is stepping into a different league here. If he can do it he will blow an already-exciting Champion Hurdle picture well and truly wide open after Binocular's recent Newbury eclipse while a late addition to the programme is the Tingle Creek Chase, switched after Sandown was abandoned.

With the Unicoin Homes Relkeel Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on the undercard on Saturday and some pretty classy races on Friday too (with a Listed event worth £40,000 in added prize-money the main feature) the Cheltenham Festival betting picture should become a lot clearer.

Cue Card, winner of the Cheltenham Collection Sharp Novices Hurdle at The Open meeting last month, faces a bigger task next weekend