Celestial could sidestep Cheltenham

Celestial Halo could miss this year's Cheltenham Festival and wait for Aintree.

The seven-year-old won the Triumph Hurdle in 2008 and has shaped well in the last two renewals of the stanjames.com Champion Hurdle, but owner Andy Stewart believes the Aintree Hurdle is his major spring target.

"He's entered in the Champion Hurdle and the World Hurdle but he's not quick enough to win the Champion and he's probably not good enough to win the World Hurdle," said Stewart.

"He was going to go for the totesport Trophy at Newbury but it's a very competitive handicap and he'd have had top weight.

"We'll give him one more run before we decide what to go for if we go to Cheltenham.

"If we missed Cheltenham altogether, he'll definitely go for the Aintree Hurdle in April.

"He was going well when falling last year, so he'll probably go back for that. Two and a half miles is more his bag.

"Once we've got Aintree out of the way or whatever, we may have another go at chasing with him."

Tataniano will take in next month's totepool Game Spirit Chase at Newbury ahead of a tilt at the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old signed off his novice campaign with a brilliant display at Aintree, but was beaten into third on his comeback at Cheltenham in November.

The weather has kept him off the track since and owner Andy Stewart is looking forward to seeing him back in action.

"He was entered in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas but that was off, so he'll go for the Game Spirit at Newbury," said Stewart.

"All going well there, he'll go for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham."

Stewart has more than most to look forward to at this year's National Hunt Festival.

Big Buck's is a short price to make history and win the World Hurdle for the third successive year, while the likes of Poquelin and Ghizao are also among the leading fancies for their respective targets.

"Poquelin goes straight to the Ryanair Chase and Ghizao goes straight to the Arkle," Stewart continued,

"There is nothing for Ghizao anyway and after he hacked up at Newbury in the fog we decided that he'd go straight to the Festival.

"The Thursday at Cheltenham will be quite nerve wracking with Big Buck's and Poquelin both favourites."