Avalon On Course For Timber Bow Former Aidan O´Brien inmate Avalon could make his hurdling debut for Jonjo O´Neill at Newbury on Wednesday. The four-year-old, who has only competed three times on the Flat, finished third in last season´s Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August but was last seen trailing home a disappointing fourth at Newmarket in September. New owner Patsy Byrne is happy with the Kingmambo gelding´s progress under O´Neill and has entered him for the Berkshire Stand Bookshop Juvenile Novices´ Hurdle at Newbury. 'Jonjo says he´s been schooling well, but it´s impossible to know whether he´ll take to this game,' said Byrne. 'If he doesn´t then we´ll just go straight back to the Flat and, let´s be honest, he´s hardly exposed. 'Aidan wouldn´t have let him go if they thought he was going to be a world-beater as a four-year-old, and they were really disappointed with him at Newmarket in September, when he was fourth of six in a Listed race. 'Basically, Newbury will be a fact-finding mission. We honestly don´t know where this season will take us with him but he´s got plenty to offer. 'We´ll be winning races with him, simple as that,' Byrne told the Racing Post. ? PA Sport
