Muirhead Set For Festival Bid

Muirhead is likely to swerve the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

With Noel Meade's string just beginning to swing back into action after a short spell of inactivity, the trainer is inclined to give the Grade One event a miss.

The five-year-old leapt to prominence in the betting for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle after beating Cork All Star in the Royal Bond and is now set to head straight to the Cheltenham Festival opener.

"I'm going to leave him in it, but at the moment I think I'm swaying towards not running him and leaving him until Cheltenham," said Meade.

"With the way things are at the moment, I would hate him to run and run bad. I've had a discussion with the owners and we've decided that we are probably going to sit and wait, but he will be left in it.

"He'll be fresh for Cheltenham. He's jumps well and he's not a hard horse to get fit."

Muirhead is Betfred's outright 5-1 favourite for the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival.

(C) PA Sport