Cheltenham Festival: Cheveley Park runners primed to star

Sir Gerhard's Cheltenham Festival target remains undecided – but owners Cheveley Park Stud favour a tilt at the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.

The seven-year-old was the winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the meeting last season and is unbeaten in two runs since graduating to hurdling.

After winning his maiden by eight lengths at Leopardstown, the Willie Mullins-trained gelding then went on to record an impressive six-length victory in the Grade One Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Mullins has entered him in the two-mile Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the two-mile-five-furlong Ballymore, but connections are eyeing the latter option next week.

"We’re definitely leaning towards the Ballymore, but I can’t give you a decision as yet because Willie is still mulling it over," Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson told Sky Sports Racing.

"It looks like the Ballymore on balance, but there’s been no final decision yet.

"I’m actually very relaxed to be honest with you, we are very relaxed at Cheveley as to which race he goes for.

"It’s down to Willie, he’ll look at the final shape of each race and see how that’s looking in terms of his own stable as he’s got other runners.

"With Sir Gerhard the feeling is he can get the Ballymore trip, and the feeling is that with the quality he has he can compete in both.

"I think he’d win either, but the Supreme is, at the moment, the stronger race – no question.

"It’s a fine balance, but if we’re told by Willie that he’s a horse that can compete in both and the Ballymore is a slightly weaker race, then of course the Ballymore would be the race we’d go for."

Thompson also said that he and Henry de Bromhead are inclined to head for the Betway Queen Mother Champion