Connections of Marie’s Rock appear to have abandoned ambitions of conquering the staying hurdling division in favour of another crack at the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Her previous attempts at three miles have proved fruitless, but the team behind Nicky Henderson’s nine-year-old have always felt they needed further evidence over a staying distance before completely giving up on the Stayers’ Hurdle dream.

A run in the Cleeve Hurdle later in the month was mooted as the potential acid test of her staying credentials, but following a seven-length defeat by a resurgent Bob Olinger when trying to defend her Relkeel Hurdle crown, attentions will be turned to another run over two and a half miles at the Festival in March and an attempt to win the mares’ only Grade One for a second time.

“I think she ran a Marie’s Rock race. They went a good enough gallop. James (Bowen) was very happy with how she settled and she jumped very well,” said Middleham Park’s National Hunt racing manager Tom Palin.

“I think we were just beaten by a resurgent Bob Olinger and you can do nothing but tip your cap and go ‘well played’.

“We were discussing about going three miles again, but I would say at this point we are going to go for the Mares’ Hurdle. That would be the hot take, if you were.

“I think this tells us we should be looking back to what we know and to go and try to win the Mares’ Hurdle again. Hopefully, we get a truer-run race in it this year.”

Although surrendering her Relkeel crown to Henry de Bromhead’s on-song raider, the Middleham Park Racing team were pleased with Marie’s Rock’s efforts at Prestbury Park and will now return their star mare to her own sex for her Festival tune-up, which is likely to be Warwick’s Listed Hurdle on February 10.

“That performance she put in was the real Marie’s Rock and I think that performance is good enough to be competitive in a Mares’ Hurdle at the Festival,” continued Palin.

“I don’t think we will go to Ascot (for the Warfield) or the Cleeve Hurdle.

“I think we will go to Warwick for the Listed race she won before the Mares’ Hurdle at the Festival. That is in mid-February. That is about six weeks away now, then it is a month to the Festival and that appears the route we will go.”

Paul Nicholls has reported that Stage Star returned “a tad sore” after his disappointing run at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

A winner at the Festival in March, he also landed the Paddy Power Gold Cup in November and was having his first run since that success.

However, the combination of heavy ground and a handicap mark of 166 meant he was soon struggling and when his chance had gone coming down the hill, Harry Cobden took the decision to pull him up.

The champion trainer is not too concerned, though, and believes with over three months to go before his next target – the Ryanair Chase back at Cheltenham – he can get him fit and firing once more.

“He was a tad sore when he finished and when he trotted up this morning he wasn’t quite 100 per cent, so I’m guessing he’s pulled some muscles somewhere,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“He’s had a few little issues in the past. He made a couple of mistakes going up the hill and I wasn’t sure he was going that well before then in that ground.

“The vet is in this morning, he’ll give him a full MOT and we’ve plenty of time to get him sorted before the Ryanair. That’s why I was so keen to get a run into him now rather than in a month, as there weren’t many options really.

“We’ve got time to get him back to himself. He had a couple of runs last year when it didn’t go quite right.

“Yesterday morning I was looking for any excuse not to run him and that is unlike me because I’m always positive and always want to run, but when he trotted up and everything, it was all positive, he gave us no reason not to run.

“It wasn’t to be yesterday but I’ve been there a million times before with horses like this, we can just put a line through that run. We’ve loads of time before the Ryanair on spring ground and we’ll get him back for that.”

On a brighter note, Nicholls landed yet another edition of the Challow Hurdle through Captain Teague at Newbury a few days earlier.

“I was pleased with him, he’s improving physically and mentally all the time and he jumped a lot better than he did at Cheltenham – he just idles a little once he’s in front,” said Nicholls.

“I haven’t spoken to Johnny (de la Hey, owner) about what we’re going to do in the spring with him, but ultimately we’re building his career to be a novice chaser this time next year.”

Owner Brian Acheson believes Galopin Des Champs is the best horse since Kauto Star and has conceded his Gerri Colombe will be running for second place when he tackles Willie Mullins’ defending champion in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Galopin Des Champs was an imperious winner of the blue riband in March but had since suffered defeat twice at the hands of Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow, with Acheson’s Gerri Colombe emerging as a real Gold Cup contender when making a winning return at Down Royal.

The two talented stayers clashed for the first time at Leopardstown in the Savills Chase and with the Closutton Cheltenham hero back to his very best, Gerri Colombe was helpless as Galopin Des Champs romped to a brilliant 23-length success.

That shot the eight-year-old back to the top of the Gold Cup market, with Gerri Colombe eased to a best price of 11-1 with Unibet, and Acheson – who runs his horses under the Robcour banner – feels there is no way of turning the tables when they meet again at Prestbury Park in March.

He said: “Galopin is the best horse since Kauto Star and I’ve said it since the day of the Turners (Novices’ Chase, at Cheltenham). He is an absolute rocket, a weapon.

“We lost nothing in defeat and I don’t think there is a horse in training that can stay with him, he’s just a machine.

“You are running for second place. In the era where we don’t have enough good horses, if I didn’t have Gerri in the race, then you would love him to win by half the track just to make him look a superstar – and he is a superstar, I would love to own him.

“Hats off to him and it was actually an honour to run against him, he’s so good.

“We will take him on but there is only one winner.”

Acheson also outlined plans for his plethora of stars in the staying hurdle division.

Bob Olinger and Irish Point have both thrown their names into the mix with victories over the Christmas period, but it is last year’s Stayers’ Hurdle third Teahupoo who is currently carrying his owner’s main hopes following his second Hatton’s Grace success last month.

“Bob Olinger will be going to Aintree,” said Acheson. “If you had three horses, would you run three horses in the Stayers’?

“At the moment, I have two horses who could run in the Stayers’ and the one horse who is going there if he is fit and well is Teahupoo.

“Irish Point won well last week, but Home By The Lee didn’t run his race and Asterion Forlonge was a great horse but is a little bit older now.

“Teahupoo’s run against Impaire Et Passe was better form-wise, so he’s number one, but this French horse (Theleme) is meant to be a superstar.”

Dual Cheltenham Festival hero Bob Olinger heads a field of four runners declared for the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day.

Henry de Bromhead’s charge was brilliant when winning the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2021, and profited from the final fence exit of Galopin Des Champs when landing the Turners Novices’ Chase 12 months later.

The eight-year-old’s form has been in and out since, but he proved at least some of his considerable ability remains intact when making a successful start to the current campaign in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan and he returns to Prestbury Park in a bid for back-to-back Grade Two victories.

Last year’s Relkeel heroine Marie’s Rock defends her crown for Nicky Henderson and Middleham Park Racing, having disappointed on her comeback in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.

The line-up is completed by Olly Murphy’s pair of Brewin’upastorm and Strong Leader, ridden by Brian Hughes and Gavin Sheehan respectively.

Brewin’upastorm chased home West Balboa on his seasonal debut in a conditions hurdle at Aintree, while Strong Leader pushed Blueking D’Oroux close in the Grade Two Coral Hurdle at Ascot last month.

“Brewin’upastorm has been an absolute star for the yard. He is not getting any younger, but he is still in good form,” said Murphy.

“He needed his first run of the season, like he does every season. There is not much around for him apart from this race. He retains plenty of ability and I’m looking forward to running him.

“Strong Leader had a good run at Ascot and I think the outer track at Cheltenham will suit him. He seems in good form and he is still relatively unexposed. I’m hoping that he has a good each-way chance.

“He was still quite green at Ascot and there is a small chance I might fit him with a set of cheekpieces. He still has plenty left in the tank.”

The main attraction on the undercard is Stage Star, who concedes over a stone in weight to five rivals in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase.

Winner of the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival last season, the Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old landed a third win at Cheltenham when taking top honours in last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Stage Star faces five opponents on his return to the Cotswolds including Donald McCain’s Richmond Lake, winner of his last four races, and Ben Pauling’s Shakem Up’Arry.

Cheltenham boss Darrell Clarke said he would have “snapped your hand off” to be on 20 points at the halfway stage of the League One campaign after their 2-2 home draw with Reading.

The Robins led 2-0 before a quickfire double from the Royals just before half-time levelled things up and Cheltenham had to settle for a point against the team directly above them in the table.

But when Clarke took over at the end of September, Cheltenham looked to be in a hopeless position, with no goals and just one point on the board.

“We are disappointed we haven’t won the game because we had a mad five-minute spell at the end of the first half,” he said.

“In the first half we were in full control and their keeper pulled off two or three great saves.

“But I am a realist at the same time and seven points out of the three Christmas games so far and to be on 20 points at the halfway mark of the season after only getting one from the first 11 has given us a decent building block to try and attack the second half of the season.

“I am going to give my players lots of credit, sitting here on 20 points after having one from 11, I’d have snapped your hand off for that.

“We now have to keep working hard and improving what we are doing but we look like a side now, which is pleasing. We didn’t look like a side when I first came into the building.”

An inspired David Button denied Liam Sercombe, George Lloyd and Lewis Freestone as Reading were forced to withstand considerable pressure in the opening 25 minutes at a packed Completely-Suzuki Stadium.

But the opener arrived in the 29th minute with Sercombe sliding to touch Sean Long’s low ball in from the right.

The lead was doubled in the 37th minute when Button blocked an effort from Freestone only for a clearance from Amadou Mbengue to hit his own goalkeeper and fly into the net.

The overworked Button denied Ben Williams in the 42nd minute but the game then turned with Lewis Wing’s corner headed in at the back post by Jeriel Dorsett in the 45th minute.

Then, two minutes into time added on at the end of the first half, Wing’s cross was glanced into the net by Paul Mukairu.

Wing’s free-kick was pushed away by a diving Luke Southwood in the 69th minute and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji curled one just wide for Cheltenham deep into stoppage time as it finished all square.

Reading boss Ruben Selles was pleased with the way his team fought their way back into the game.

He said: “They were the best team in the first 45 minutes but after it was 2-0 we realised we could compete in the game.

“The good thing is the boys went through some difficult moments together but fought back. We changed the momentum after 40 minutes.

“I’m very proud of the effort and togetherness they showed. We now just want to play more games and get more points. You always want more but the team looks solid.”

Jeriko Du Reponet returns to the scene of his impressive debut attempting to enhance his burgeoning reputation in the Coral Committed To Safer Gambling ‘Introductory’ Hurdle on Saturday.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, the point winner became the talk of the town when dazzling at Newbury on the pre-Coral Gold Cup gallops morning and lived up to expectations when taking to the track, with an easy three-and-a-quarter-length victory over course and distance.

Already favourite with most firms for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he now faces stiffer opposition as he continues to build up his experience ahead of bigger assignments to come.

“He’s a big horse and he’s only had one point-to-point and one hurdle race which didn’t tell us very much,” said Henderson. “But he did what he had to and was learning all the way.

“This is a better-quality field and we will see how we go here.”

Lying in wait for the four-year-old are four rivals, including Alan King’s Lingfield scorer and 94-rated Flat performer Paradias and Hughie Morrison’s Secret Squirrel, who is three from three following a taking success at Kempton on his hurdles debut.

“He’s only four and is very inexperienced. He hasn’t been through the point-to-points and hasn’t ran on the Flat, so is still really green really,” said Morrison.

“I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do and he probably should be running in a softer novice but the ground could be even worse soon and in two weeks’ time it could be rained off, snowed off or even frozen.

“It’s all about experience and the Henderson horse looks like the next Sprinter Sacre, Altior, Shishkin-type heir apparent there and a 95-rated Flat horse can make a pretty decent jumper as I know from Not So Sleepy, so he could run very well and finish third.

“But it isn’t too far from home and so far Newbury has avoided a lot of the rain, well the worst of it. I just want him to have a nice experience.”

Henderson will also hope to taste success with the King and Queen’s Steal A March in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle.

The eight-year-old was well fancied for a Cheltenham Festival handicap last term before injury struck and now returns from 369 days off the track bidding to pick up where he left off, having scored at Wincanton when last seen.

Dan Skelton’s Get A Tonic impressed when bolting up over course and distance earlier this month and is likely to be a warm order for a repeat, while Paul Nicholls’ Irish Hill was well held on that occasion but is now tried in first-time blinkers off a mark 1lb lower than his last successful rating.

Nicholls told Betfair: “I’m putting a pair of blinkers on Irish Hill to try to sharpen him up because I’m not convinced he put everything in last time at this track.

“Hopefully he can go well off a mark of 127.”

A competitive field has also assembled for the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase, where Surrey Quest is one of the leading contenders.

Formally trained at Seven Barrows, he made a brilliant start to life in the care of ex-Henderson assistant Toby Lawes when a fast-finishing six-and-a-half-length scorer at Huntingdon and now tries to follow up after an 8lb rise.

“He won well on his debut for Toby and will certainly appreciate the extra distance,” said Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb.

“He had a minor op after that race and, while he’s in great shape, he would have preferred this race to be a week later. The ground will be perfect – he wouldn’t want any more rain – but we are happy to take a chance.”

Noel George has reaffirmed the intention to skip this season’s Cheltenham Festival with the very exciting Il Est Francais.

George trains in partnership with Amanda Zetterholm in France and their stable star waltzed away with the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Highly regarded types like Hermes Allen and Giovinco were left trailing in his wake as he made every yard of the running under James Reveley, but connections are to stick to their plan of aiming at the French Gold Cup, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, this spring rather than Cheltenham.

“He doesn’t have to front run, he’s very easy, he can sit in behind and pass horses but that’s just the speed he’s comfortable at going and the others aren’t comfortable. He’s just a dream horse and I think the sky is the limit with him,” George told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s potentially the best chaser in the whole of France. He hasn’t stepped up in grade yet but we knew that he was very good.

“We thought about coming to Kempton a year ago and the horse had never even run over fences, but I think it was the right decision to wait and he’s shown everyone how good he is.

“It’s great for everyone involved to show that the top level in France is able to compete with the best level in England.

“The horse came back into training in July, ran in September and was near enough 100 per cent for the whole autumn. If we kept him in training to aim at Cheltenham and then get him back at 100 per cent for the French Gold Cup in May, that’s nearly a whole year having him in full training which I don’t think is the right thing to do.”

He went on: “We still need to discuss it but for me, I’d like to give him a break to make sure he is 100 per cent for a French Gold Cup.

“We’ve got loads of time with this horse, he’s only just turning six and for me, his next real target in England is the King George so there’s no rush, the sky is the limit.

“(Co-owners) Richard Kelvin-Hughes’ dream is to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup and Nicolas Lageneste’s dream is to win a French Gold Cup – if we can achieve both everyone would be very happy.”

George Lloyd was described as “unplayable” by Cheltenham assistant boss Adam Murray after the striker’s brace helped the Robins move off the bottom of the League One table with a 2-0 home win over Shrewsbury.

Lloyd nodded in the hosts’ opener in the first half before sealing matters with a second goal five minutes from time.

Cheltenham have now picked up five wins from 12 games under boss Darrell Clarke and assistant Murray hailed Lloyd’s impact on his return to the starting XI.

“From what I’ve seen of Lloydy, he is one unbelievable player,” Murray said.

“I know he’s been at the club a long time and probably not got the goals that his work-rate and talent deserves.

“I know in the past, Micky Moore (former director of football, now at Shrewsbury) has worked really hard to keep him at the club and it’s
paid dividends because when he is like that, he truly is unplayable.

“I’d imagine if we cut him open, his heart would be as big as him.”

Lloyd nodded in Liam Sercombe’s free-kick from the right in the 34th minute to put the fast-improving Robins on course in front of their highest home turnout of the campaign.

And Lloyd touched in Tom Bradbury’s downward header from Sean Long’s corner to seal the points five minutes from the end.

Sercombe tested Marko Marosi with a powerful drive in the ninth minute, but chances were at a premium in a cagey first half.

A low shot from Shrews midfielder Carl Winchester was well blocked by Lewis Freestone and Winchester blasted one wide against his old club before Lloyd’s opener.

Taylor Perry fizzed a shot wide early in the second half for the visitors, before Cheltenham nearly doubled their lead in the 63rd minute.

The outstanding Lloyd set up ex-Shrews striker Rob Street, who saw his effort cleared off the line by Jordan Shipley.

Ben Williams had a free-kick touched over the bar by Marosi and another set-piece from the left wing-back crashed against the bar in the 81st minute, before Lloyd had the final say.

Shrewsbury boss Matt Taylor lost two more players to injury at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium, with Perry and Daniel Udoh both hobbling off.

“Everything that can go against us at the moment, is,” Taylor said. “We’ve got to come out swinging.

“I’ve never known a treatment room at any football club to be so full. We’re stretched at the moment.

“While we’re disappointed at the moment though, fast forward three days and we have a chance to put things right (in Friday’s game at Burton).

“It’s a tough day because we didn’t see anything from Cheltenham that we didn’t prepare for. You can’t give the opposition two goals from set-plays, though.

“The way we defended at those two set-plays and to give two free headers is nowhere good enough. We didn’t make the opposition work too hard for those two goals.

“The fans will have left here feeling very frustrated, as I will, because today is nowhere good enough by any stretch of the imagination for this football club.”

Jonjo O’Neill’s Are U Wise To That is having a short spell out of action having picked up a cut when winning at Cheltenham recently.

The six-year-old is the winner of four of just seven races under rules and looked a novice going places at the December meeting.

Raised 5lb for his win to a mark of 130, plans are currently on hold while he recuperates.

“Unfortunately he’s given himself a nasty little gash so he’ll be out for a while,” said O’Neill.

“He will be OK, but just to prevent infections it needed washing out. It shouldn’t take too long if all goes the right way.

“He did everything sweet at Cheltenham and he jumped away grand, hopefully he’ll be a nice horse.”

In the same blue and yellow silks of Michael Geoghegan, Inch House has enjoyed a good first half of the season, winning twice at Newbury.

“He’s going OK. He might develop into one for Ultima. We’ll know better where we are going after his next run,” said O’Neill.

“I’m not sure where that will be as he wouldn’t want the ground bottomless so we’ll see how we go.”

At Newbury on Wednesday Fortunate Man cruised to victory for JP McManus, a much better outcome than when unseating at the third flight on his racecourse debut.

“To be honest I thought he’d run well at Ffos Las as that was an easier race. At Newbury you never know what you might bump into,” said O’Neill.

“The ground was very heavy there and I’d say that might have played into his strengths. It was nice to see him do it anyway.

“I’d say he might be ground dependent, but hopefully he’s a nice horse.”

Gidleigh Park is set to get some valuable Cheltenham experience on his next start following his impressive victory at Newbury on Wednesday.

The Walk In The Park gelding looked an above-average prospect when dominating his rivals in a Chepstow bumper in the spring and has only given that theory more weight since being sent over hurdles.

Harry Fry’s charge made an excellent start to his jumping career at Exeter last month and doubled his tally in some style under a penalty, pulling upwards of nine lengths clear of his rivals.

Paddy Power trimmed Gidleigh Park’s odds for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival to 14-1 from 25s, and the five-year-old is set to get an early sighter of Prestbury Park on Trials day at the end of January.

“I was delighted with him as it’s another step up the ladder and more experience,” said Fry.

“All being well, he’ll now step up in grade at Cheltenham on Trials Day – there’s a a Grade Two novices’ hurdle for him there.

“It’s exciting that he’s progressing the way he is and long may it continue.

“We’ll keep asking the question and see if he’s up to it. We’ll take it a race at a time, but those races are there as stepping stones to the big spring festivals and hopefully he’ll justify his place.”

Henrietta Knight will always be remembered for the Cheltenham Festival exploits of Best Mate. But there was also Edredon Bleu – a horse who always held a special place in his trainer’s heart and who 20 years ago defied his advancing years for King George VI glory.

A dual Cheltenham Festival winner having supplemented his Grand Annual victory of 1998 with a thrilling Champion Chase win in 2000, the gallant bay returned victorious to the winner’s enclosure 25 times during a staggering 57-race career and won the Peterborough Chase in four successive seasons between 1998 and 2001.

However, his finest hour arguably came aged 11 when he corrected the record of his previous King George disappointment to land a 25-1 shock and add big-race success over three miles to his extensive roll of honour.

“It was a bit of a surprise, but a nice surprise,” said Knight of Edredon Bleu’s one-and-a-quarter-length triumph over Martin Pipe’s Tiutchev.

“When Edredon Bleu ran in it the first time he didn’t quite stay, but the tactics were a bit different the second time.

“He led a lot of the way and he was just a gutsy little horse and if he got in front he didn’t like being headed.”

Since Southern Hero won the race as a 12-year-old in 1937 there has been only three 11-year-olds to claim the Boxing Day showpiece, with Edredon Bleu among top-class company in the record books alongside King George legends Desert Orchid and Kauto Star.

It was just the second time he had raced over three miles, with many easily ruling the gelding out on account of a lack of stamina.

But the Edredon Bleu team always kept the faith and his handler knew just how brilliant her Champion Chase hero could be on his day.

Knight said: “Terry (Biddlecombe) always said he would stay – even though he won a Champion Chase, Terry always said ‘this horse will stay further’. He was a remarkable horse.

“He was a fantastic horse and in my heart he is held every bit as much as Best Mate, I adored the horse.”

It was, of course, not Knight’s first King George triumph with Best Mate dazzling the Christmas crowds in Sunbury 12 months previous.

But with her defending champion and Gold Cup hero heading to Leopardstown for the Lexus Chase (now Savills Chase) over the Christmas period, the door was opened for Edredon Bleu to prove he was a more than able substitute and secure leg one of what would be a fabulous big-race festive double.

“It was a fantastic weekend as he won the King George and Best Mate went over to Ireland and won the Lexus,” continued Knight.

“I wasn’t even there the day Best Mate won it as we had Edredon Bleu down at Wincanton and he won there so we had two winners which was nice.

“We thought the Lexus was a better race for Best Mate, the King George wasn’t an ideal race, it is always a very quick three miles and the Lexus was very tempting.

“We didn’t want to do the King George a third time, he had won it on his second go and should have won it the year before as well, (AP) McCoy said he should have won but didn’t think he would stay – Terry always told him he would stay.”

Edredon Bleu’s Christmas triumph meant that he even eclipsed his esteemed stablemate the following year when asked to become the King George poster boy.

Knight added: “He was brilliant. We took him up to Hyde Park Corner as they wanted to use him to advertise the race the year after he won it and he was just stood there with all the traffic going round as quiet as a lamb.

“He was just stood there near the great big statue they have there and we paraded him up there and took lots of photographs to promote the race.”

The training prowess of Nicky Henderson has been hailed after Doddiethegreat raised more valuable funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation when finishing second at Cheltenham last week.

Owned by Kenny Alexander, the seven-year-old is named after former Scotland rugby union great Doddie Weir, who died of motor neurone disease in November last year.

Alexander is donating all prize-money earned throughout Doddiethegreat’s career to the foundation set up by his great friend and fellow Scot to raise funds to aid research into MND.

This was a decision that paid dividends at the beginning of the gelding’s career when he won his first three outings with the minimum of fuss and he then channelled his namesake’s fighting spirit when returning from over two years on the sidelines with a thrilling comeback victory at Ascot recently.

Although tasting defeat for the first time at Cheltenham, he travelled menacingly over the Prestbury Park undulations and was denied by just over a length as he raised a further £6,075 for the charity.

“We’re absolutely delighted and over the moon with him and Nicky Henderson’s training performance with him has just been phenomenal,” said Alexander’s racing manager Peter Molony.

“I don’t think there is a better trainer anywhere to get a horse back from injury and nurse a horse back to the racecourse and then also get them to perform at the top level again, it’s absolutely incredible.

“The whole story and Kenny’s generosity to the Doddie foundation is brilliant and the horse is earning lots of money for the foundation which is huge and hopefully we are raising a bit of awareness for the cause as well.

“When you set out to do something like this with a horse and he turns out to be Doddie and he is winning and showing the ability that he has, then it is great and gives you a great sense of satisfaction.”

Doddiethegreat’s owner has made no secret of his desire to take a shot at the Scottish Champion Hurdle in the spring, but his Cheltenham performance has now opened up more options, with both a return for the Festival in March and a step up in trip just a couple of the possibilities for connections to ponder.

“I think both Nicky and Nico (de Boinville, jockey) are adamant that he is crying out for further and will improve for further,” continued Molony.

“Kenny would absolutely love him to go to Ayr in April for the Scottish Champion Hurdle. But we would just be a little bit worried that you might get fast ground and with his previous injury history and it being over two miles, would that be the right place for him? It’ll certainly be under consideration.”

When asked if a run at the Cheltenham Festival would be considered, Molony added: “Absolutely, all options will be open and no doubt Nicky and his team will pick the right course of action with him.

“It’s still one day at a time because of his horrific injury and we’ll always be on tenterhooks with him, but we will see how we go.”

Stage Star will seek more Cheltenham glory when he returns to the scene of some of his finest triumphs on New Year’s Day.

Connections did have the option of Leopardstown’s Savills Chase for a festive outing, with Lingfield’s £165,000 Fleur de Lys Chase at the end of January another possibility ahead of a tilt at the Ryanair in the spring.

However, the decision has been made for the Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old to kick off 2024 back at Prestbury Park – the place where he supplemented his Tutners Novices’ Chase win at the Cheltenham Festival with a thrilling Paddy Power Gold Cup victory on reappearance.

He lumped a hefty burden to success on that occasion and will be tasked with a similar weight-carrying assignment when lining-up in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase worth £100,000.

“We decided against Ireland in the end and we’re going to run him at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day in the handicap,” said Owners Group’s Dan Downie.

“He will carry top-weight obviously, but it is a trip we know he operates over and a track he loves. It means we don’t have to travel all the way over there (to Ireland) and we thought it made sense.”

The Owners Group could also seek a valuable handicap pot with their former Triumph Hurdle champion Pentland Hills, who made an encouraging reappearance at Doncaster on Saturday when finishing second.

Nicky Henderson’s eight-year-old could now be set for a second crack at Kempton’s Lanzarote Hurdle having pulled-up in the race when out of sorts last season.

“He’s come out of the race well and we’re happy with him,” continued Downie.

“Nicky has actually been really happy with him this season and we have no firm plans, but we will probably have the Lanzarote in our minds as a possible target for him.

“He just wasn’t in any sort of form last year. He didn’t take to chasing and then it is always difficult to come back and the ground was pretty awful. I think you can draw a line through last season.”

Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos is likely to be seen once more before taking aim at a Cheltenham return for the Festival in March.

Last season the mare made her mark when winning three bumpers in good style, including a defeat of the useful Queens Gamble at Market Rasen and then a wide-margin success in a Grade Two event at the Grand National meeting.

Her hurdling career has been equally successful so far, with the five-year-old taking her debut over obstacles by seven and a half lengths at Huntingdon in November.

She then lined up at Cheltenham on Friday in what has historically been a good race, previously won by the likes of Datsalrightgino, Chantry House and Elixir De Nutz.

Under Paddy Brennan she was the 5-6 favourite and cantered home a comfortable victor, with the runner-up beaten two and three-quarter lengths and the third over 13 lengths away.

A return to Cheltenham for the showpiece meeting is the ultimate aim, with O’Brien hoping to find another suitable outing for the mare before then.

“She’s very well and we’re really pleased with her. She did it well at Cheltenham, I’m not much into timing but people say she did it very fast,” he said.

“You need a fast one and her last furlongs were fairly fast, so fingers crossed that bodes well.

“You couldn’t fault her, she did everything we wanted her to do and took the whole thing in really well.

“Cheltenham is different to anywhere else, I know it’s not March and there’ll be twice as many people there, or three times as many, but it’s still great to get her there.

“When, hopefully, she goes back there in March, she’ll be in familiar surroundings having been there before.

“There was plenty of depth in there, it was a nice race to go for and it ticked a lot of boxes for us.”

O’Brien will now scour the calendar for the mare’s next outing, with early February considered the ideal time for her final run before the highlight of the National Hunt season.

“The obvious one is Doncaster in January, but Paddy (Brennan) feels that might be too soon, we’d probably be happier with the first week in February,” he said.

“It’s just trying to find somewhere where she hasn’t got a load of weight, we’ll give it a go and try to find something.”

Whilst Dysart Enos made a success of the meeting, the O’Brien team did suffer some disappointment when Bonttay unseated Brennan in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

The mare has been incredibly consistent for connections having never finished out of the top two coming into the race, and on the turn for home she looked poised to add to her record as she approached the penultimate hurdle on the bridle.

A third Cheltenham success was not to be, however, as the six-year-old misjudged the obstacle and pecked heavily on landing before parting ways with her rider.

Thankfully both horse and rider were unharmed and O’Brien hopes to find another day for the mare to shine.

“It was a long way out so it’s a bit difficult to know whether she’d have won or not, but she’s come out of it fine,” he said.

“She had a little scratch on her hind leg but other than that she’s OK, she’ll be fine for another day.”

Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens refused to celebrate his side’s two late goals which earned victory at Cheltenham because he was so disappointed with their performance.

Orient picked up their first win in nine games as they came from behind against 10-man Cheltenham, who had Ben Williams sent off in the 18th minute.

Will Goodwin’s penalty put Darrell Clarke’s improving Robins in front in the 68th minute, but an own goal in the 89th minute from Sean Long and Ethan Galbraith’s winner deep into stoppage time turned the game around.

“I didn’t celebrate the equaliser or the winning goal because I am very performance-related,” Wellens said.

“I am happy because of the result but also frustrated because we came here with a game plan.

“You have to give Cheltenham a lot of credit because they are very aggressive and this is a difficult place to come as Oxford, Wigan and Derby have found here.

“We didn’t find any belief of rhythm in the second half because our decision-making was poor.

“I thought the subs were good when they came on and we kept going and showed fight. We’ve played a lot better than that in recent weeks and not got our just rewards, but football is mad.

“I am pleased for the supporters because it’s been a long time coming.”

Cheltenham started brightly, with Long turning Will Ferry’s low ball over the bar in the sixth minute.

The home side had Williams dismissed for two yellow cards in as many minutes, for fouls on Jordan Brown and Ruel Sotiriou.

Orient nearly capitalised as George Moncur saw a volley blocked in the six yard box by Tom Pett and Darren Pratley’s header cannoned off the bar from Theo Archibald’s corner.

Cheltenham regained the initiative in the second half, with Goodwin forcing Solomon Brynn into a diving save with a snapshot in the 62nd minute.

Their pressure paid off when Ferry was tripped by Pratley and Goodwin made no mistake with his penalty.

But substitute Shaq Forde’s shot was deflected into his own net by Long in the 89th minute and Galbraith won it with a shot from 22 yards in the fourth minute of time added on.

Cheltenham boss Clarke admitted it was a tough one to take.

“It’s very raw at the minute,” he said. “We are devastated to come away with nothing.

“With 10 men for such a long period of the game, I thought the boys were magnificent.

“Like I’ve just said to the lads, sometimes in football and in life, it can kick you down. It’s how we respond, but I am very disappointed for everybody.”