Lineman Flagged Up For Cleeve Wichita Lineman is on course for the Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.The seven-year-old, owned by JP McManus, will bid to boost his claims for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle in March.The Jonjo O'Neill-trained gelding won the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle on this card 12 months ago before landing the staying novices' hurdle at the Festival.This season he was fourth to Hardy Eustace on his seasonal debut at Ascot in November before finishing second to Blazing Bailey in the Steel Plate And Sections Hurdle on New Year's Day over this course.'The plan is to go to Cheltenham on Saturday and Wichita Lineman is in good form ahead of the race,' said the owner's racing manager, Frank Berry.'Jonjo is very pleased with him at home. He came out of his run on New Year's Day well and the probable soft ground shouldn't inconvenience him.'We'll get Saturday out of the way first but I'm sure that he'll go straight to the Festival for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.'(C) PA Sport
