Wednesday 5 October 2016 15:54, UK
Nigel Twiston-Davies may give Ballyandy his second outing over hurdles at The Showcase at Cheltenham.
The 2016 Weatherbys Champion Bumper hero could return to the scene of his biggest triumph for either the two-mile Harrison James & Hardie Maiden Hurdle or the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle over five furlongs further on Friday October 21.
The five-year-old won four of his six starts in bumpers last season and is unbeaten in two appearances at Cheltenham, having also captured a Listed prize at The Open in November.
Ballyandy came off second best behind Moon Racer, winner of the 2015 Champion Bumper, on his hurdling debut over two miles at Perth on September 22, having not raced since finishing fourth in a Grade Two bumper in early April.
The two horses served up a treat for racegoers, with Moon Racer gaining the upper hand after a sustained duel to win by three-quarters of a length, with a further 20 lengths back to the third.
Twiston-Davies is keen to run but did warn that his charge may need some rain to line up.
"It is very possible that Ballyandy could head to Cheltenham in a couple of weeks but nothing is set in stone as we are waiting for some rain," he said.
"He has been fine since Perth. I was disappointed to be honest as I thought he would win but perhaps he needed the run.
"There are two options at Cheltenham. We could stay at two miles, but we will have a look at both races and then make a decision."
Cheltenham's new season gets underway with The Showcase with the two day meeting covering October 21 and October 22.
Away from the action on the track, racegoers will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Home of Jump Racing with guided tours of the parade ring and weighing room before racing.
The food and drink showcase, introduced for the first time in 2014, returns to The Centaur to show off all that is great about produce from the Cotswolds.
