Success at last year's Cheltenham Festival whetted Emma Lavelle's appetite for more glory at jump racing's premier fixture.

Crack Away Jack gave the Andover trainer the biggest success of her career to date in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle last March.

And it is the five-year-old who will again spearhead her raiding party with a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

"It was tremendously exciting last year and it would be lovely to think we could go and try to win another race with him at the Festival," she said.

"It has definitely made me hungry for more success there."

Crack Away Jack has at least each-way prospects in the Champion Hurdle.

He has been prepared solely for this race after disappointing when last of five to Binocular and Celestial Halo in the rearranged Boylesports.com International at Ascot in December.

Lavelle felt the horse needed a break after having had three races in a 10-week spell.

"It certainly was the plan to give him a mid-winter break after Ascot," she added.

"He just bubbled over the top a little bit and I wanted to freshen him up.

"The way the weather has been, it would have been difficult to find another race before Cheltenham anyway, so it's actually worked out pretty well.

"He'd had three races within fairly quick succession and I think I just needed to let him down, freshen him back up and then bring him back up to fitness.

"He's cantering away and doing a bit of stronger work and I'm very happy with him.

"He's fresh and looks great."

Lavelle, who has been training for 11 years, also has an interesting candidate for the Fred Winter this year in Amore Mio.

She said: "If the ground came up soft, that would definitely suit him.

"He won well at Sandown last time and has followed a similar pattern of races to Crack Away Jack from last year.

"He's a versatile type of horse and very tough.

"Realistically, we'll probably have the biggest number we've ever had going there.

"Pause And Clause won at Kempton last time and is in the Ballymore as an option, and we are considering Chariot Charger for the Albert Bartlett.

"If the ground came up OK for Kangaroo Court he'd go for the Supreme Novices', so we've got a few this year.

"We were held up a little by the wintry weather but nothing too drastic.

"We've probably missed a couple of bits of work but were able to keep them cantering, so it's not been too bad."

One horse missing from Lavelle's Cheltenham string this year is Labelthou.

The nine-year-old mare, who has run at the last two Festivals, has been retired.

She won six of her 17 starts over timber, including four Grade Two events, and has been sent to France to be covered by Gold Away, the sire of Crack Away Jack.

"She'd done enough miles on the track. I think she'd just had enough," Lavelle explained.

"Gold Away is sire of Crack Away Jack so, hopefully, that will be the start of a future generation.

"The plan is for me to have her offspring.

"She was a massive servant to us. She won four Grade Two hurdles which was a big achievement."

Who knows? In about five years' time, Lavelle could be celebrating the product of that match in the winner's enclosure at Cheltenham.