Joe Tizzard insists the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton remains the preferred target for Alexei on his next start ahead of a tilt at the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Despite giving the six-year-old an entry in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury, in which he tops the weights, the Milborne Port handler says it is all systems go for the Grade Two contest at the Somerset track on February 14.
After tasting defeat in the DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle at Chepstow on his return, the son of Tai Chi roared back with wins in the Lavazza Handicap Hurdle at Ascot and the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.
And although Alexei came up short in his hat-trick bid in the Ascot Rotary Club Festive Handicap Hurdle at the Berkshire venue on his latest start, it has not deterred Tizzard from going in pursuit of Grade One glory at the Festival after his next outing.
Tizzard said: “He is going to go to the Kingwell and I’ve only put him in the William Hill Hurdle at Newbury to cover all options really. He has got a Champion Hurdle entry and he will have a County Hurdle entry. He has earnt all the options.
“He will go to the Kingwell and we will almost certainly run him in a Champion Hurdle.
"His form was franked at Windsor on Friday by Hot Fuss and Wilful, who beat him at Ascot last time, with that pair finishing first and second. We went chasing Wilful and that probably cost us second at Ascot. He is in lovely nick at home.”
A trip to Cheltenham on Saturday for an outing in the Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase could beckon for JPR One, who sidestepped an appearance in the Grade One BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot last Saturday.
However, if ground conditions go against the dual Grade Two winner at the weekend, Tizzard could re-route the John Romans-owned gelding to Musselburgh for the bet365 Scottish Champion Chase seven days later.
Tizzard said: “I’m going to enter him at Cheltenham in the two and a half mile handicap chase and see what the ground is like. I’ve got him in Musselburgh the week after, which is probably the right option for him as the ground will be decent.
“I had him in the Clarence House Chase, but he was the big outsider, and he probably could have finished third, but he is too nice a horse to be pot hunting with.
“There was not too much between him and Elixir De Nutz, who won a Clarence House Chase for us, so that is why he was entered in it. If it rained all week at Cheltenham, and it was soft, he wouldn’t go there and he would go to Musselburgh.”
The Changing Man ruled out
However, while Tizzard is looking forward to seeing both Alexei and JPR One back in action he has had to draw stumps for the season with Grade Two winner The Changing Man.
The nine-year-old has suffered a setback following his fine run in third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November.
Tizzard added: "Unfortunately The Changing Man is out for the rest of the season as he got jarred up at Newbury. It is a shame as he ran two lovely runs this season at Ascot and in the Coral Gold Cup.
“It is not a big leg injury, but we have had to draw stumps for the rest of this season. He will be back next season and we will look forward to getting him back in the autumn."
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