Trainer Jack Jones can justifiably dream of Cheltenham Festival glory after his star juvenile An Bradan Feasa ran out a decisive winner of the JCB Triumph Trial at Prestbury Park.

Successful on his hurdling debut at Ballinrobe in September for Joseph O’Brien, the three-year-old subsequently moved across the Irish Sea to join Newmarket-based Jones in the autumn.

An Bradan Feasa made a promising debut for his new connections when second to leading Triumph Hurdle contender Burdett Road at Cheltenham last month, and he was a 5-4 shot to go one better four weeks on in the hands of Tom Bellamy.

Dan Skelton’s Kourosh, a runaway winner on his British bow at Wetherby, set out to make all the running in the two-mile-one-furlong contest, and had built up a clear lead halfway down the back straight.

However, the market leader bridged the gap before the home turn and appeared to be getting the better of the argument when Kourosh crashed out at the final flight.

His exit left An Bradan Feasa in the clear racing up the hill and he kept galloping to score by three lengths from the staying-on Balboa.

“It is unreal,” said Jones. “I’ve been coming here for as long as I can remember. To have a runner here a month ago was the stuff of dreams, and for him to do it like that today, I’m speechless.

“Tom gave him a peach of a ride, he jumped and travelled and he was very push button when Tom wanted to give him an inch. I’m very happy.

“It was his first run for us here in November. It was a serious run considering he had to do most of the donkey work and that horse (Burdett Road) looks a fair animal.

“I’m not sure of the depth of the form today, but he has got his win and for the owners to have a winner here is what they have dreamt of – that is why they got him.”

Betfair cut the winner’s Triumph Hurdle odds to 33-1 from 40-1, but he appears more likely to switch to handicap company at the Festival.

“The Fred Winter (Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle) is what we discussed two or three weeks ago,” Jones added. “He could be 50-1 in a Triumph Hurdle but, although he will go up again today, he would have a competitive enough weight in the Fred Winter.

“He will have a quiet enough time now and will have one more run before March and see where we end up.”

Gordon Elliott has branded reports that the British Horseracing Authority could limit the number of runners an individual trainer can run in major handicaps in Britain as “very dangerous”.

It has been suggested that the ruling body is consulting stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of capping the amount of runners a trainer can declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.

If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.

Elliott, no stranger to saddling multiple runners in high-profile races both in Britain and in Ireland, admits the prospect of being limited to how many horses he can run in a race is a huge concern.

“I think to try and cap an owner or a trainer’s horses is very dangerous,” he said after racing at Punchestown on Tuesday.

“If you go back to the 1960s, Tom Dreaper won seven Irish Grand Nationals in a row and he had 50 per cent of the field, although I know there weren’t big fields then.

“In 1983, Michael Dickinson had the first five home in the Gold Cup and then 20 years later Martin Pipe had eight and nine of the field in two races at the Cheltenham Festival – things haven’t changed.”

Elliott made the headlines last month when saddling 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase at Navan, a move which he staunchly defends.

He added: “There would only have been four runners in the Munster National if I didn’t run one in it, never mind eight, and it would have been the same in the Troytown.

“These races aren’t filling up and you have to try and support them for the sponsors and everyone.

“In the Galway Plate, I ran six horses for six different owners. It’s very hard for me to have to tell someone that they can’t run.

“We buy them all thinking they are going to be Gold Cup horses but a lot of them end up being three-mile chasers.”

When asked to comment on the potential move, a BHA spokesperson said: “From time to time, the BHA will contact stakeholders for views on various issues. We would not comment on speculation around private discussions.”

Jack Jones is dreaming of Fred Winter glory at the Cheltenham Festival with An Bradan Feasa after the three-year-old performed with real credit behind impressive scorer Burdett Road at the November Meeting.

Saddling what was his first runner at National Hunt’s flagship venue, the three-year-old – who was purchased out of Joseph O’Brien’s yard by owners Christopher and Mary-Ann Middleton – put up a fine display for the Newmarket handler, still holding the advantage when turning for home and approaching the last before ultimately having no answer to the blistering acceleration of the current Triumph Hurdle favourite.

An Bradan Feasa stuck on bravely to pick up a silver medal and although initially trying to convince himself there were options away from the Festival, Jones soon began to eye up a return to Prestbury Park in March for the son of Camelot.

“We will be working back from the Fred Winter,” said Jones.

“It makes sense and we have looked at lots of different angles. I did throw in the comment that Cheltenham isn’t the be all and end all, and then the next sentence we kind of agreed we have got to work back from Cheltenham.

“It was so special for me there on Saturday, I’ve been going to Cheltenham since I was a small boy, it is my local track from home and where my racing dream originates from.”

He went on: “Unless he takes a massive step forward, which he could do and he’s only had the two runs, then realistically we will let Burdett Road go and win the Triumph and on all known form we shouldn’t be beating that. There’s nothing we can do about that.

“They gave us 127 and I thought the winner would get 140 and we would get 128, so I wasn’t a million miles off and from having a scroll through the last few years that looks a nice rating for the Fred Winter.

“He’s got course form, touch wood he jumps impeccably and to have runners at Cheltenham, let alone the Cheltenham Festival, is a huge dream of mine. He’s exciting and the good day was topped off by Star Mind winning at Wolverhampton that evening.”

Jones is still to finalise An Bradan Feasa’s route to the Festival but is not short of options and is tinkering with a two-race plan that includes a possible trip north of the border before arriving at Cheltenham in the spring.

He added: “As easy as it is to get excited about races in between, I have to be mindful he is still only a baby and that was only his second ever run. He did have the Flat run, but that was a non-event and Joseph ran him over hurdles only 13 days after his Flat debut.

“So I have to be careful just to mind him and I don’t know where, but I think two runs between now and Cheltenham will be sensible and then we can go to Cheltenham fresh and well.

“We’ve got options and I haven’t looked in-depth. There is a Listed race at Aintree in a couple of weeks or he could just go and try and win a midweek juvenile hurdle with a penalty. My vet and Christopher have both mentioned the Musselburgh Triumph Hurdle Trial as well, so that could be a nice option and it might suit him round there.

“We’ve got a lot of exciting options, but maybe a midweek juvenile, Musselburgh, then the Fred Winter would be the potential route.”

Although predominantly associated with training runners on the Flat, Jones has a strong National Hunt grounding having ridden out for Nicky Henderson during his university days as well as serving as pupil assistant to Kim Bailey and Paul Nicholls before attentions turned to Newmarket and the faster thoroughbreds.

Having thrived with the Middleton’s Our Scholar over obstacles throughout the summer months, the young handler is now relishing the prospect of having a top operator to run over obstacles during the winter.

“He’s only been with me around six weeks and we took him for a racecourse gallop two weeks before Cheltenham. We actually took him with a nice horse called Pleasant Man who ran a week later and he finished fourth in the November Handicap.

“For my first runner at Cheltenham it was some thrill to have him still in front turning in. He jumped impeccably, travelled well and Tom (Bellamy) gave him a good ride. He was jumping himself to the front and he’s got a lovely, gorgeous big stride and Tom did the right thing by letting him use himself.

“I was getting very excited between the second last and the last but we were beaten by a good one and Christopher and Mary-Ann were over the moon. He looks a fun horse not only for this year, but you would hope he would be around for a good few years.”