Fred Winter aim for Akavit Ed de Giles has said that he is "70-30" in favour of making the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle the aim for Akavit at next month's Cheltenham Festival. While not ruling out running the four-year-old in the JCB Triumph Hurdle, the Ledbury handler has said that the handicap option on March 16 is the more realistic target. After opening his account at Wetherby on his second start over hurdles the four-times Flat winner followed it up with a clear cut success in a juvenile contest at Sandown last week. De Giles said: "Akavit will get an entry in the Fred Winter and that is probably the most likely option but I am certainly not discounting the Triumph. My idea is that it's probably 70-30 he will run in the Fred Winter. "He came out of the Sandown race well and I could have run him the next day. He was moving brilliantly and it was as if he hadn't had a race. He is a tough little nut. "I just think he is improving with every run. His jumping was good at Sandown as was his approach to the hurdles. He is only going to improve again and better ground will suit." Although Cheltenham is the priority De Giles has not ruled out taking Akavit to the Grand National meeting at Aintree the following month should the signs be encouraging after his next start. He said: "He will go straight to Cheltenham now. I think if he comes out of that as well he did at Sandown the obvious race to go for would be the juvenile race at Aintree. "Looking ahead he has already schooled well over fences and I don't think he will be a flash in the pan."
