Cheltenham options still open for Voler

Colm Murphy admits the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in a fortnight will be something of a fact-finding mission for Voler La Vedette.

The six-year-old jumped to prominence when she beat subsequent Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle winner Go Native at Down Royal in November.

Murphy opted to take the easier alternative with his budding hurdling star over the Christmas period, sending her for a Listed event against her own sex rather than tackling one of the big races at Leopardstown but he is ready to step her up in class now.

Voler La Vedette is likely to be entered for both the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle and the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but Murphy is hoping her next run will help to determine her target.

"She will be entered in both (races at Cheltenham) but the next day will probably tell us a lot more about her as she will run in the Irish Champion Hurdle weather permitting," he said.

"That will probably give us a better indication of which to go for."

The Champion Hurdle market has been far from straightforward so far this term with the first three home last year, Punjabi, Celestial Halo and Binocular, all suffering defeats.

Murphy would not write off that trio yet though and admits the mares' race may be a better call.

"It's to hard to say too much yet, they don't all of a sudden become bad horses. Punjabi and all of them, they're forgotten horses already," he told Racing UK.

"We are just lucky we have the option there with the mares' race as well. I think it's probably the obvious one for her at the moment but the Irish Champion will be a good sighter for us."