Miller team mull options

General Miller’s target at the Cheltenham Festival has still to be decided after the abandonment of the Tolworth Hurdle.

Connections were hoping to see in which direction they should point after the Grade One event, but the weather put paid to its original date on January 2 and a bid to reschedule at Ffos Las a week later.

Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten five-year-old made an eyecatching debut over timber when beating the highly-regarded Ghizao and owner Henry Ponsonby admits two of the three Grade One novices’ hurdles at the Festival are under serious consideration.

“He’s a horse we’ve always thought an awful lot of and at Cheltenham we were pleasantly surprised because we knew we were throwing him in at the deep end - it was no secret Paul Nicholls regarded Ghizao as one of his better horses,” said Ponsonby.

“He made up three lengths up the hill and he was entitled to need the run. All things considered, he can only go on from that and there is more to come.

“He’s bred to get two and a half miles or even three, but he’s not crying out for it on that performance.

“I’ve talked to Nicky though and we haven’t got a plan except for Cheltenham in the Supreme Novices’ or the Neptune (Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle) and I’ve backed him in both.

“Nicky rates him highly and that’s enough for me,” he told At The Races.

General Miller is a general 20-1 chance for the Supreme but a standout 20-1 with Paddy Power for the Neptune, which was previously sponsored by Ballymore.