Sunday 20 January 2019 12:33, UK
Silver Streak will try to gain Grade Two honours in the Betway Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton on February 16 following a second good run at that level on Saturday.
Trainer Evan Williams may put his progressive grey away for the season after that, although he will keep him in the Champion Hurdle for the time being, just in case the race cuts up badly.
Silver Streak went down by three lengths to Global Citizen in the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock, after making a mistake at the third-last flight.
It was the third successive race he had taken the runner-up spot, coming after the International Hurdle and the Greatwood at Cheltenham, and followed victory in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las.
"He's absolutely grand, A1. The ran horse ran very well. He's a good, genuine horse. He did nothing wrong, I've no complaints," said the Llancarfran trainer.
"He's been so progressive and I think we forget he's only a six-year-old. I don't want to be blinded by Champion Hurdles.
"The horse will go to the Kingwell in Wincanton as his next target. We'll leave him in the Champion in case all the really good Grade One horses don't turn up, but I wouldn't want to see the race break up.
"We'll aim to try to win a Grade Two quietly and let the Grade One horses go to Cheltenham. I'd say we won't do too much with him this season, because we'll train him for next season. He'll have a good, long holiday.
"We'll aim for the Kingwell. I don't think we'll do both. We're not good enough and we don't jump well enough to run in a Champion Hurdle at this stage.
"I don't want to run the horse in a championship race when he doesn't jump well enough. He's still learning his trade and it's catching him out at the moment. He's a good horse and I've got to look after him."
