Souffleur camp target four-timer

Souffleur will bid to land his fourth successive win over timber in Saturday’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Peter Bowen elected to step his progressive youngster into Grade Two company after the four-year-old posted a smooth win in a competitive Aintree handicap last month.

“He will go to Cheltenham and he’s a good horse,” said Bowen.

“It didn’t really surprise me (how well he won last time) because I’d have been gutted if he’d been beaten that day.

“He is a very good horse and he was a good horse on the Flat too. Now he’s a year older and a year stronger, he has obviously improved again.”

Souffleur slammed 14 rivals by four lengths and more over two and a half miles last time, but will step back up to three miles at the weekend.

“It won’t worry him at all because he got two miles on the Flat,” Bowen added.

“I think he was even better over three miles (the time before) than he was last time over two and a half.

“You’d have to go step by step as you never know with horses. They all reach a level and then don’t go any further,

“But he looks at the moment as though he could be top class and he is only a four-year-old.”