Jered on course for Cheltenham

Noel Meade: happy with Jered.

JP McMANUS may already have a red-hot ante-post favourite in Binocular but the champion owner's Champion Hurdle team for March also looks like containing the hugely promising Irish star Jered.

Noel Meade's Grade One winner hasn't been seen since Punchestown in November but the former champion trainer reports the chestnut as being still on course for a festival appearance in March.

"He actually went to Martinstown for a bit of a break but he has come back and looks great," Meade reported yesterday. "He's very strong so he will be trained for the spring. I haven't actually spoken to JP lately but I presume he wants to go towards the Champion Hurdle and then Punchestown afterwards."

Jered remains as low as 10 to 1 in betting for the Champion Hurdle behind Binocular, who is as low as evens favourite in some lists for Cheltenham.

Ground conditions will be vital as to where Meade's other top hurdler Harchibald runs next. The enigmatic star landed another Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on his last start.

"If the ground comes up goodish or good to yielding he will probably head to the Irish Champion Hurdle," Meade reported. "Cheltenham all depends on the ground. I won't run him on the ground that they had there last year. If we have a dry spring and the ground turns up good he will run at Cheltenham," he added.

Harchibald is already 5 to 1 in ante-post betting for the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle and is a general 16 to 1 for Cheltenham.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times