Challow Hurdle runner-up Lookaway has a return to Newbury for the Betfair Hurdle or the M1 Agency Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon as possible options en route to the Cheltenham Festival.

Neil King’s seven-year-old has become a real unsung hero of the novice hurdling division this term and although his winning streak has come to an end of late, Lookaway has still turned in high-calibre performances.

Stepping up in trip for a first taste of Grade One action on the back of his Greatwood Hurdle second, the Grade Two scorer pushed Paul Nicholls’ Captain Teague all the way in a thrilling event to end 2023.

King was thrilled with the performance and having only been put up 1lb by the assessor, he admits the Betfair Hurdle will be tempting, despite the Listed Sidney Banks – over a similar trip to the Challow – seeming a more obvious route to Prestbury Park.

“I thought it was a massive run from him, just with the wrong result,” said King.

“I was thrilled with him and it was just the wrong result. He’s come back home in really good form, I’ve ridden him out this morning and he’s in lovely form.

“He’s only gone up 1lb which has to be a bonus, so we could think about an entry in the Betfair, but maybe the Sidney Banks would be a more obvious target on the way to Cheltenham.”

Once at the Cheltenham Festival, King will need to decide whether to run in the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle over a course and distance Lookaway has already tasted success this term, or tackle the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle over an intermediate trip.

“I’m sure for the Festival the Ballymore is probably going to be better than the Supreme,” said King.

“But as everyone is saying, if the ground comes up the state it is now, then maybe the Supreme is not such a daft idea.

“If it was typical Festival ground, then two-miles-five is going to be better for us.”

Trainer Neil King was thrilled to see his stable star Lookaway continue his resurgence with an all-the-way victory in the Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday.

The six-year-old was an expensive purchase at £170,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point, but looked a smart recruit in winning a Huntingdon bumper and a Grade Two at Aintree last year.

It was therefore disappointing he failed to make a major impact on his first three starts of hurdles last season – but having got the show back on the road with a couple of spring wins at Uttoxeter, he was given another opportunity at Grade Two level on his return from a summer break.

Ridden by Jack Quinlan, partnering his first Cheltenham winner, Lookaway was sent straight to the lead from flag-fall and after being challenged from the home turn, he found more in the straight to prevail by two and three-quarter lengths from Kamsinas.

King said: “We were under a severe cloud last season when he wasn’t winning his races.

“He was a very well-handicapped horse coming into this race and it was a tough decision whether to go into a handicap or stay the novice route, but I just felt against we should for time being stay against novices.

“I think he can get up to Grade One level. I’m absolutely over the moon as he has got the most wonderful owner attached to him.”

Idalko Bihoue provided his connections with some compensation following the recent loss of stable star I Like To Move It with a dominant win in the 2023 Thoroughbred Census Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

High-class hurdler I Like To Move It, who like Idalko Bihoue carried the colours of Anne-Marie and Jamie Shepperd, was fatally injured on his chasing debut at Uttoxeter three weeks ago, with trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies describing it as “the worse racing day of my life”.

Idalko Bihoue (5-1) fell on his chasing bow at Warwick, but got his act together with a seven-length success at Prestbury Park under the trainer’s son, Sam.

“That was absolutely lovely. We thought he would do that the first time at Warwick, but he was too keen. He was very sensible around here and he is a really nice horse,” said Twiston-Davies.

“He is very exciting. We can’t go in a big handicap yet as he needs another run. There are very few ordinary novice chase races now so he will probably have to have another novice handicap run then we would have a think.

“This is lovely. I think that was the worst racing day of my life (losing I Like To Move It) and this all helps put it back together again.

“The owners have been very good supporters and they sponsor the yard. It very much makes this victory important.”

Our Champ provided jockey Freddie Gordon with the perfect 18th birthday present in the opening Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.

Gordon, riding for his father, Chris, had not previously ridden a winner at Cheltenham and could hardly have broken his duck in more impressive fashion.

Having made a successful debut for the yard at Plumpton last month, the five-year-old was a well-backed 9-2 joint-favourite to follow up and streaked clear up the hill to score by seven and a half lengths.

Gordon said: “This is what dreams are made of coming here on my 18th birthday. My dad has let me have a spin, more for a day out, and then he has gone and done that which is amazing.”

The triumphant trainer hinted the Grade Two Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton in February, which he has previously landed with Highway One O Two in 2020 and Aucunrisque in 2022, could be a target for his latest runaway winner.

He added: “It’s the boy’s 18th today so I got it right for once – that is his 18th birthday present.

“The horse came to us and went to Plumpton and won nicely there and I thought before the handicapper gets hold of him, let’s come here for the owners and he has done it really well.

“He is only a five-year-old and he is still a novice, so I might look at some of those novice graded races as the season goes on – we might have a look at the Dovecote at Kempton.

“I came here pretty confident for me as I’m always pessimistic. I rode him myself the other day in a bit of work against a very good horse in Aucunrisque and they worked extremely well.”

Neil King is excited to see his stable star Lookaway make his return to action in the feature event on the opening day of the season at Cheltenham.

Bought for £170,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point a couple of years ago, the six-year-old gave his new connections an immediate return on their significant investment by winning on his debut under rules at Newbury, before plundering the Grade Two bumper at Aintree’s Grand National meeting.

He made an inauspicious start to his career over hurdles last term, suffering defeat on his first three attempts, but came good in the spring with successive wins at Uttoxeter in May.

Lookaway returns to Grade Two level for Friday’s Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle and King is hoping he can pick up where he left off.

He said: “He seems in good shape, ready for action and we’re looking forward to getting him out.

“As everyone is aware we were badly out of form all winter last season and it just took a bit of time to get over things, but once we hit form he came right as well and showed what he’s all about.

“He’s all good, he’s done his work and is ready to make a start.”

Kamsinas looks a major contender for Fergal O’Brien, with the Kelso bumper winner having made an impressive debut over hurdles at Worcester a fortnight ago.

“I’m looking forward to running him and unlike most of our other runners the more rain they get the better for him,” said O’Brien.

“He’s been great since Worcester. It’s not what we’d normally do – we’d normally give them another run over hurdles before stepping into this grade – but he’s run in point-to-points, so we just said we’d roll the dice and fingers crossed he’ll come up trumps for us.”

John McConnell’s Fennor Cross took the prize back to Ireland 12 months ago and this season the raiding party is represented by the Peter Fahey-trained Toto Too.

Second on his introduction in a bumper at the Galway Festival during the summer, he went one better at Killarney next time and fairly bolted up on his hurdling bow at Navan on his most recent outing.

Fahey said: “It’s a very competitive race, with a lot of horses stepping up into that grade.

“Our horse has travelled over well and seems in good form. It’s a big ask going out for a Grade Two on his second run over hurdles, but we’re keen to get him out again on a bit of nice ground and we’re hoping he puts up a good run.”

Olly Murphy’s 14-length Bangor winner Act Of Authority and Dan Skelton’s 12-length Uttoxeter scorer Williethebuilder also feature in an intriguing contest.

Gavin Cromwell saddles two significant runners on the undercard in My Mate Mozzie and Encanto Bruno.

My Mate Mozzie, a winner at Grade Three level over hurdles and beaten just a length in the Galway Hurdle in August, is a hot favourite squareintheair.com Novices’ Chase, despite being beaten at cramped odds on his on his debut over fences at Fairyhouse three weeks ago.

“We were bit disappointed after Fairyhouse, I suppose the ground was a bit too soft for him and he didn’t stay,” said Cromwell.

“The ground looks like it’s going to be a bit better in Cheltenham and it looks a nice opportunity, so hopefully he can win.

“I know he has to stay up the hill, but the race is actually just shy of two miles.

“We’re clutching at straws with the tongue tie as he’s just not finishing out his races completely.”

Encanto Bruno won a bumper at this meeting last year for the aforementioned McConnell and went on to contest the Champion Bumper at the Festival in March.

He won as he liked on his hurdling debut at Bellewstown in July, but was pulled up at Galway next time and makes his first start for his new trainer in the Trustatrader Novices’ Hurdle.

Cromwell added: “We’re happy with him, he’s stepping up to two and a half which I don’t think will be a problem and nice ground will suit him.

“He’s working well at home and we’re hoping for a nice run, but whatever he does on Friday he’ll improve from it.”