Wood Set For Festival Prep

John Quinn hopes Crow Wood's return to the Flat at Lingfield tomorrow will set him up nicely for the Cheltenham Festival.

The versatile seven-year-old will take his chance in the betdirect.co.uk Winter Derby Trial Conditions Stakes before switching back to timber at Prestbury Park next month.

Crow Wood holds an entry in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Vincent O?Brien County Handicap Hurdle at the Festival, but Quinn is expecting a good run at Lingfield before that ? despite being drawn widest of all in stall eight.

'He's in good nick and if he was ever going to run before Cheltenham it was always the plan to go on the Flat,' reported the Malton-based handler.

'There was no way we were going to go over hurdles again before the Festival.

'We can't do anything about the draw but we'll be getting a run into him, which is important.'

Crow Wood finished runner-up behind the useful Mullins Bay and Notable Guest in two hot handicap events at York last summer and has created a similarly favourable impression in his fledgling hurdling career.

The Halling gelding was last seen registering a seven-length success from Richard Fahey's Saif Sareea at Musselburgh in February, having also won on his hurdles bow at Uttoxeter last October.

While Quinn is leaning towards aiming his stable-star at the Supreme Novices', for which he is a a 16-1 chance with Paddy Power, he has not ruled out running Crow Wood twice at Cheltenham.

He added: 'We were very pleased with him at Musselburgh and you can't do any more than win a handicap, which should stand him in good for Cheltenham.

'At this stage I should think he'd run in the Supreme. But the other race is three days later, so you never know.

'It's a tight enough race at Lingfield though but we'll do our best and should have him travelling well for Cheltenham after that.'

Crow Wood, who will be partnered by Graham Gibbons for the first time at Lingfield, faces seven rivals in the 10-furlong feature on the all-weather.

Group Three winner Compton Bolter must give weight all round after he finished fourth behind Eccentric in last year's Winter Derby in March.

Listed course and distance winner Kew Green and the Chris Wall-trained Counsel's Opinion also takes their chance.

African Dream reopposes after finishing eighth in the Winter Derby last year, while Grand Passion, who won this race in 2004, represents Geoff Wragg's yard.

Ernst Oertel's Polygonal and the Richard Hannon-trained Red Spell complete the line-up.

? PA Sport