Emma Lavelle cool on Cheltenham for Junction Fourteen

Emma Lavelle has reservations about targeting impressive Wincanton scorer Junction Fourteen at the Cheltenham Festival.

The six-year-old made it two from two over fences with a comprehensive success in the Rising Star Novices' Chase on Saturday, but has not fired in three previous visits to Prestbury Park.

With that in mind, Lavelle is already eyeing an appearance at Crabbie's Grand National meeting at Aintree in April.

She said: "It was a great effort and he has come out of that race fantastic.

"He was good on Saturday, but I don't think he wants the ground bottomless and I don't want to give him hard races on it.

"Aintree is the long-term target and we will work back from there.

"He never runs well at Cheltenham so I am not going to say that is the place to go with him."

The Andover-based trainer also had news of Closing Ceremony, who won the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock in February, but failed to make an impact on his return to action at Wetherby.

"He goes for the fixed-brush hurdle at his beloved Haydock at the end of the month," said Lavelle.

"He just gets race-rusty and he always seems to run an average race on his first race of the season. He didn't have his handicap mark moved.

"It is a halfway house in terms of whether we stick hurdling or go novice chasing.

"I really like the Haydock race, especially for horses that are potentially going chasing, as it gives them a stepping stone.

"We have schooled him over the fixed-brush fences at home and he has been very good at them."