Tolpuddle's conversion to jumping still in progress

The high class flat performer Tolpuddle is heading for Wincanton on Saturday on what connections describe as a "fact-finding mission" for his Cheltenham chances.

Tommy Stack's former Irish Lincoln winner has run twice over hurdles this season, winning narrowly on his debut at Cork but then finishing third behind Mounthenry at Punchestown.

Considering Tolpuddle got within seven lengths of Valixir in last year's Group One Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp, neither start appeared overly impressive but the Stack team are hoping for much better in England this weekend.

Tolpuddle is entered in the Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle, one of the last established Champion Hurdle trials in Britain, and a two-mile novice race on the same card.

It has been confirmed he will run in one of those races rather than take up another entry in the Red Mills Trial at Gowran.

"The ground should be better over there and the track is quick. We just want to see if we should stay hurdling or prepare for something like the Lincoln again," explained Stack's son Fozzie.

No decision on which race Tolpuddle will actually run in has been made but Stack admitted to being tempted by the Kingwell option.

"It's worth a lot of money and in the long term we would probably learn more from running in the Kingwell," he said. "If he were to win, or run well in the first three, the Supreme at Cheltenham would be a logical step but all of that is dependant on this weekend and how we get on in this fact-finding mission."

If Tolpuddle does take up the Kingwell option he is likely to tackle last year's Triumph Hurdle winner Penzance who missed out on last weekend's abandoned Totesport Trophy and another leading cross-channel hurdler in Royal Shakespeare.

One horse going straight for the Champion Hurdle will be Willie Mullins's 25 to 1 shot Sadlers Wings who returned to action after a long lay-off with a good run in the AIG.

The former Grade One winner will also miss out on Saturday's Red Mills and Mullins said: "I don't want to run him on Saturday as he is going to have a busy second half of the season."

Meanwhile, the impressive novice chaser Nickname is back in work after a disappointing effort at Leopardstown last month. Martin Brassil's ex-French star made a big impression in two wins at the Dublin track before failing to shine in the Irish Arkle behind Missed That.

However, the trainer said yesterday: "He ran flat and we've given him a couple of weeks rest. He is back in light work and coming back well. But there is no point going to Cheltenham if it's quick as there are plenty of races in Ireland to win. Hopefully we will get him back to how he was earlier in the season."

Brassil is also satisfied with the 10st 6lb Numbersixvalverde has been rated at for the Aintree Grand National. "It's a nice racing weight and it should guarantee he gets into the race," he said. "He finished well over hurdles last time and has been in great form all year. I might run him at the start of March but I need to keep him in good shape and in the right frame of mind."