Hamilton looking forward to Champion Bumper

Brian Hamilton is excited to be heading back to the Cheltenham Festival with leading Champion Bumper hope Moscow Mannon.

The jockey-turned-trainer has ridden around the famous Prestbury Park circuit, and saddled a runner in 2009 Foxhunter Chase also-ran Chief Oscar.

Moscow Mannon shares favouritism with Ladbrokes for the major bumper prize of the season, having completed a hat-trick of wins with a fine performance at Gowran Park last month, and Hamilton feels his charge deserves to line up at Cheltenham.

"At the moment, we're looking at running him at Cheltenham," said the County Down-based handler.

"He has done everything right in his career so far. Ideally he would like softer ground but as long as it's safe, I don't think the ground will be an issue.

"I thought with a double penalty in Gowran the last day, against Willie Mullins' horse (Morning Royalty), he was up against it.

"But he won very nicely and he did surprise me a bit.

"The fact he won that day has earned him a trip to Cheltenham. I know the Champion Bumper can be a bit of a graveyard, but he's a six-year-old whereas a lot of the runners in it are four and five.

"I never thought it would happen to me to have a horse good enough to go to Cheltenham.

"A few years ago I had a horse who ran in the Foxhunter Chase, Chief Oscar. He ran down the field somewhere and went on to win the Ulster National, but unfortunately he collapsed and died after the line.

"Going back to Cheltenham with a horse who looks to have a real chance is something else and it's something for us to look forward to."