Paul Nolan was buoyed by what he saw from Doctor Steinberg at the Dublin Racing Festival and is considering reopposing Willie Mullins' charge with Thedeviluno at Cheltenham.
Nolan's Thedeviluno finished four and three-quarter-lengths second to Monday's runaway Grade 1 winner Doctor Steinberg in a Grade 2 even at Navan on December 6 and he holds entries in the Sky Bet Supreme, Turners and Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at next month's Festival.
Thedeviluno was last seen winning the Grade 2 Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places River Don Novices' Hurdle over three miles at Doncaster and his trainer is seemingly favouring the Albert Bartlett at this stage.
"I'd say looking at the way that he travelled in the race (at Doncaster), there would be no need to drop back in trip, Nolan said on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. "Even though in fairness to him he won his maiden over two miles in Gowran and then he was placed over two and a half in a Grade 2 in Navan, then he won over three miles.
“All the options are still open but you’d certainly favour the Albert Bartlett.
“We thought that day (Navan) that Doctor Steinberg got a freebie in front, Danny (Mullins) was very good on him but nobody challenged him at all, then I thought he quickened twice up the straight. We moved to get to him but couldn’t bridge that gap.
“When the vibes were that he wasn’t one of Willie's good ones... when you’re beaten by that then how far are you going to be beaten by his decent ones?! But looking at it now, with his performance at the Dublin Racing Festival, the manner in which he did it maybe you’d prefer to steer clear of it, but we’ll see what happens."
Nolan claimed a double on last month's Doncaster card courtesy of Feet Of A Dancer landing the Virgin Bet A Good Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares' Hurdle on her first try at the three-mile trip, and she could now be in line for a shot at the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.
“Again, three miles definitely seems to be her best trip," said Nolan. "We were just talking about it the other day, if Lossiemouth is going to go to the Mares’ Hurdle, we don’t think we’d beat her and Wodhooh. The Stayers’ Hurdle she’s in as well, she’d have to improve well over a stone and a half to go and win that, but it's the same against Wodhooh and Lossiemouth.
"Would we be fools not to go for her best trip? She might have good a chance as being third in the Stayers’ Hurdle as being third in the Mares’ race. So we’d have to look at that and say would she be better off going to the Stayers’?"
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