Festival handicap likely for Alderwood

Alderwood could well go back down the handicap route at this season’s Cheltenham Festival after making it third time lucky over fences at Navan on Sunday.

The nine-year-old landed the County Hurdle at last year’s Festival and went on to claim major novice prizes at the big spring meetings at Fairyhouse and Punchestown for trainer Tom Mullins and owner JP McManus.

He slipped up on his fencing debut at Navan in November and was then a good third at Fairyhouse before emerging from the fog to score decisively at the weekend.