Charbel winning at Leopardstown© Photo Healy Racing
Kim Bailey is edging towards running Musselburgh winner Charbel in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Bailey still has the option of stepping the five-year-old up in trip for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle, but has a preference for the two-mile Festival curtain-raiser on March 15.
An easy winner of a Supreme trial at the East Lothian circuit at the weekend, Charbel finished second behind hot Neptune favourite Yanworth on his penultimate start at Ascot in December.
"We expected him to win at Musselburgh and his run at Ascot was self-explanatory," said Bailey.
"We were with Yanworth until the last, and before that he should have won at Doncaster when he was second.
"We were really pleased at Musselburgh as he really wants better ground than that.
"He's entered in both races at Cheltenham - there's also the option of a handicap, too - but I'd say the two-mile novice hurdle is the one, I think."
Charbel won two bumpers last season for Tom Mullins before finishing fourth in Grade One company at Punchestown behind Bellshill
