Tipperary trainer Billy Treacy is hoping the ground dries out in time for Fethard Player to take his chance in the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The nine-year-old, who is also owned by Treacy, was last seen winning a valuable handicap hurdle at Down Royal in October.

He was just beaten by a head in a similar event at the Aintree Grand National meeting last April, while he went down by a length to Plinth when stepped up to Grade Two company at Tipperary on his penultimate start.

He has been given a break since his last run due to the testing conditions over the winter, but Treacy reports his stable star to be in good form ahead of his impending return.

"He is in good form and if the ground dries out we will go. He has the ability anyway, but it'll depend on the ground with him," Treacy revealed.

"While he has won on soft ground he is better on good and that's why we didn't run him on the bad ground over winter.

"He ran in Aintree last year and there was no bother on him travelling over. I've never had a runner at Cheltenham before but I just see it as another race."