Dunguib goes for Supreme Novice

Philip Fenton today confirmed that the Spinal Research Supreme Novices' Hurdle will be Dunguib's target at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.

The seven-year-old Presenting gelding, impressive winner of the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last March, also holds an engagement in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle but the trainer insists he will not be tempted to take on the established stars.

"If he jumped a little bit slicker at Leopardstown we might have considered the Champion Hurdle after that but on his performance that day, and his jumping part of it, we decided to stick to the novice route," he told At The Races.

"I wouldn't by any means call it an ordinary Champion Hurdle, there are lots of good horses there, and that's why we're sticking to the original plan. The Supreme Novices' Hurdle is where we're going and we have tunnel vision about it now. That's his race."