Kasbah ready for World warm-up

Francois Doumen could send Kasbah Bliss to Cheltenham later this month as a warm-up for another tilt at the Ladbroke World Hurdle.

The seven-year-old found only the great Inglis Drever too strong in the Grade One event in 2008 but with Howard Johnson's veteran out for the season the French raider has a chance to go one better.

And after a campaign on the Flat that brought victory in the Group Three Prix Gladiateur, Doumen is looking to get his hurdles career back up and running.

"I don't want to give him more than one race before Cheltenham so I should be able to find one somewhere," he said.

"We could maybe look at the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham but we will see. With the way the weather is at the moment, it would be silly of me to say where he is going to run next.

"I have managed to keep him working as we have a good all-weather gallop but it has not been easy as we have half a foot of snow in Chantilly at the moment.

"The horse is very easy to train as he is not heavy and doesn't need that much work. We are just taking it step by step with him.

"The horse has improved altogether since last year and has become a real adult now. He's a wonderful horse.

"Hopefully, we are going to go to the World Hurdle with a good chance but the ground is important.

"I saw Punchestowns win on what was soft ground but everyone knows my horse is better on fast or good ground."