Rebel still has champion cause

Trainer Mick Winters is keeping his options open regarding whether to let Rebel Fitz line up in next month’s Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Last summer’s Galway Hurdle hero has not been seen since he was beaten by Captain Cee Bee at Tipperary in early October, but Winters could not be happier with his eight-year-old ahead of a spring campaign.

“He’s fit and well and we haven’t made any definite plans for him yet,” said the Co Cork handler.

“You don’t wish anything bad on any horse, but if Hurricane Fly couldn’t go to Cheltenham, we might just be on the boat.

“We don’t really know what to do yet. If all the big boys turn up we might give it a miss and stay at home.

“He might just come up a bit short against the top boys and you wouldn’t want him to go over to Cheltenham and have a very hard race and then bottom him for the rest of the season.

“There is a nice, valuable race in Cork the week after Cheltenham we could go for instead and there is always Punchestown and Aintree later on.”