Cheltenian ready for Supreme test

Owner Roger Brookhouse has confirmed Cheltenian will line up in Tuesday's William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham following a pleasing racecourse gallop at Exeter.

A previous Festival winner, having landed the 2011 Champion Bumper, the seven-year-old returned from a near two-year absence to run a fantastic race at Doncaster last month, beaten just a short head by Minella Forfitness.

The Philip Hobbs-trained gelding also holds an entry in the longer Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham next Wednesday, but will instead go for the Festival curtain-raiser.

Brookhouse said: "Cheltenian had a racecourse gallop at Exeter (on Wednesday morning), which went very well, and we've decided to let him take his chance in the Supreme."