Labelthou Primed For Warwick Test

Labelthou will be aimed at the Grade Two totescoop6 Leamington Novices' Hurdle at Warwick on January 13, as long as the ground is on the soft side.

Emma Lavelle's seven-year-old mare trounced the highly-regarded Granit Jack in the Winter Novices' Hurdle at Sandown before finding Flight Leader too good in the Bristol Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Both those contests were at Grade Two level and even though the Brit Insurance Novices' Hurdle is her most likely destination at the Festival in March, Labelthou may also have a tentative entry in the World Hurdle.

'As long as the ground is soft enough, that is where she will head.

'I think the ground for her is probably more important than anything else, at least there is a chance we might get it soft at Cheltenham this year though.

'She can get through it when it is very soft when others find it a lot harder.

'If we go to Cheltenham she is much more likely to turn up in the Brit Insurance race over three miles rather than the Ballymore Properties (over two miles, five furlongs).

'If it didn't look like it was going to be the strongest World Hurdle this year she might take her chance in a race like that.

'She will jump a fence, she ran over fences at Auteuil but the one thing I will say is that it won't be this season.'

(C) PA Sport