Moon handed spring targets Moon Over Germany's career-high second placing in the Grade Two Paddy Power Shops Better Value Novice Hurdle at Naas on Sunday has his trainer Eddie Harty now looking forward to "spring targets" for the five-year-old. Harty enjoyed some marvellous days with the now-retired Captain Cee Bee, like Moon Over Germany, a son of the deceased stallion, Germany. Captain Cee Bee won the 2008 renewal of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, but a trip to the Cotswolds next month is not on the agenda for Philip Reynolds-owned Moon Over Germany. "He's a nice horse but unfortunately the timing of the race means that Cheltenham has to go out of the picture. If he was an older horse and had bags of experience it would be one thing, but a three week turn around won't be time enough - it wouldn't be fair on him," reasoned Harty. "If it was Punchestown it would be different, as that's only up the road. Travelling to Cheltenham takes a toll, though. "So it'll be spring targets and I'd imagine he'll prefer better ground. Punchestown and Fairyhouse and even Aintree could be in the mix for him. "He's about 16 hands. He's not an over-big horse to stand in to but he's plenty big enough. "He's a great jumper and down the road fences could always be an option when his hurdling career finishes." Reflecting on Sunday's effort, the Mulgrave Lodge operator said: "I was thrilled with him. I thought going to the last that he might win it. Perhaps with a clearer run he might have put it up to the winner but you have to be delighted with that on his third run over hurdles. "It was his first time in anything approaching that company so it was a big learning curve for him. You could actually see in the second half of the race that the penny dropped and that he did learn and finish out well. "The winner (Ball D'Arc) is on a big upward curve. We beat him at Navan but Ball D'arc has gained a lot of experience since, whereas my lad had a bit of a break. I'd intended going to Punchestown in early February with him but due to red-tape I couldn't. "You could see the extra experience of Ball D'arc the other day. He's learned a lot and I'd say overall it wasn't a bad race. The third horse (Don't Touch It) was a good bit behind them. "The ground was bad and maybe the front two handled it better than the rest."
