Crambo is likely to seek redemption in the JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle after running below expectations in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old headed to Festival as Britain’s leading hope in the day three feature, having downed Paisley Park for Grade One honours prior to Christmas in the Long Walk Hurdle.
He was sent off at 7/1 in the hands of Jonathan Burke and having not hurdled at his most fluent as the race began to develop, trailed home some 15 lengths adrift of race winner Teahupoo in ninth.
Full of confidence prior to the race, O’Brien has been left scratching his head after the event and is now poised to give Crambo all the necessary post-race assessments before he attempts to get back on track on Merseyside on Grand National Day.
O’Brien said: “We had no excuses really and Johnny said he felt great for the first half of the race and then just down the back for the second time he just felt like he just came back underneath him a little bit.
“We can’t really find out why, so we will run some tests on him and see where we are. I was delighted with him going into the race, so it will be a bit of a headscratcher, but we’ll keep trying.
“He’ll go to Aintree.”
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