Zarkandar set to take Stayers’ Hurdle challenge at Cheltenham after Haydock success

PAUL NICHOLLS has had a change of heart with Zarkandar who is now set to take his up entry in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Nicholls had mentioned possibly sending the former Triumph Hurdle winner straight to Aintree, but the Ditcheat handler will now aim the 10-year-old at the Grade One prize he won on four consecutive occasions with Big Buck's between 2009 and 2012.

After finishing well held in the Long Walk Hurdle before Christmas, the multiple Grade One winner rolled back the years at the weekend to claim his first win since November 2014 with victory in the Rendlesham Hurdle at Haydock.

Nicholls said: "It wasn't the greatest race on Saturday, but he travelled great and won well and Harry (Cobden) said he had tons left in the tank.

"He will run in the Stayers' Hurdle as long as everything is OK. I think the lads that own him are quite keen to go to Cheltenham.

"I just looked at it and he really has come out of the race quite well. If we are not happy, we will wait and go to Aintree.

"I recauterized his palate before he ran the other day and that wasn't because he was making a noise at Ascot, just sometimes these older horses if they have had a wind operation in the past they just need their palate fine tuned. He was right back to his best straight away at home and on the course.

"Two years ago he was third in it when he made a horrific mistake at the second-last, which cost him any chance of winning. He is back in form and it is an open-looking race.

"The plan is to go there and have another crack and I'm sure he will run another good race."