Oscar Handed Champion Aim Silent Oscar is being targeted at the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 27 as trainer Harry Rogers plots a path to the Cheltenham Festival.The nine-year-old beat Jessica Harrington's ill-fated Macs Joy on the level in April before trumping the same horse in Grade One company over timber at Punchestown.Silent Oscar has not been seen since, with Rogers keen to have his stable star spot-on for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle in March.The trainer said: 'He'll hopefully run at the end of the month in the AIG Champion at Leopardstown.'He might have another run in between that and Cheltenham, as he'll hopefully end up at Cheltenham in March if everything goes right.'Everything's been fine with him and he's been in training for a few months, but he's just a horse that doesn't come right at this time of year.'He never has and basically that's why we've kept him back this term. He wants decent ground too.'(C) PA Sport
