Countrywide Flame winning Triumph Hurdle© Photo Healy Racing
John Quinn is looking at targets closer to home rather than tackling the BHP Irish Champion Hurdle with his Triumph Hurdle winner Countrywide Flame.
The five-year-old, who landed the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November, finished third in a Grade One company at Leopardstown last February before his Festival success.
He was unsuited by the way the Christmas Hurdle was run at Kempton last time and the Malton handler has highlighted either Haydock's Champion Hurdle Trial on Saturday week or the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso on February 14th as possible options for his next race.
"Countrywide Flame pleased me in a bit of work earlier this week," said Quinn.
"He'll have an entry for the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock and if I'm happy with him and the ground is not too heavy, he'll run there.
"If not there, we'll be looking for somewhere else left-handed so we wouldn't be looking at the Kingwell.
"Something like the Morebattle up at Kelso might come into it."
