Tom now Brightwells bound

Forty Foot Tom, a general 20/1 chance for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, hasn't been held up in his work at all, at trainer Daniel Miley's Co. Wicklow base, despite the big freeze that shows no signs of abating.

The King's Theatre gelding impressed with a twenty four length demolition of his rivals on his one and only outing in public, that coming in a Navan bumper before Christmas. Colin Motherway rode the 25/1 chance on that occasion and the Cork born but Wexford based pilot was as in awe of the performance as those who witnessed it.

Miley gave the following update on his very promising youngster this morning: "He is still with us at the moment, there are a few people interested in him alright and we have no real plans made. Hopefully we'll be able to hold on to him, my father Stephen owns him.

"Everything is just ticking away there at the moment, there is no plan in concrete as to what we're going to do, if we do manage to hold on to him he'll go for a winners of one.

"Conditions are difficult here with the weather, but we're getting the horses out. We have a polytrack gallop and we can keep using that. We can harrow it to keep it in use and we haven't been stopped at all, all year. It is a super gallop.

"Forty Foot Tom has schooled over hurdles and he jumps them well. A winners of one would be next and then go for a maiden (hurdle) or the Champion (Festival Bumper), we'll see how it goes from there."

Miley later updated the situation by saying: "Forty Foot Tom will be entered for the Brightwells Sale at Cheltenham on January 30th. He is 95 per cent certain to go there unless someone buys him in the meantime to stay in the yard."