Connell confident Our Conor will deliver

Owner Barry Connell is full of hope Our Conor can gallop to glory in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.

The Dessie Hughes-trained five-year-old put up the performance of last year's Festival when winning the Triumph Hurdle, after which he was bought by Connell.

Though he has yet to win in Connell's colours, he has been placed behind reigning champion Hurricane Fly in both his starts this winter and was only beaten a length and a half in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Connell believes Our Conor is with the right trainer in Hughes, who saddled Hardy Eustace to land back-to-back victories in the 2004 and 2005 Champion Hurdles .

"Everything's fine and he's going to have his final preparations now over the next couple of weeks and we couldn't be happier with him," Connell told At The Races.

"Dessie's done it before with Hardy Eustace, he's won two Champion Hurdles. He knows how to train them and how much to do and how to space out the races. I think he's going to do the same with Our Conor.

"He doesn't have much to find with the Hurricane. He seems to improve when he goes to Cheltenham, so, again, that's encouraging."