Moscow may take Cheltenham option Moscow Mannon is described as a “50-50” chance to line-up for the Cheltenham Festival Bumper after completing a hat-trick in impressive fashion at Gowran. The son of Moscow Society took over from the front-running 9/10 favourite Morning Royalty inside the final quarter mile, and stretched clear under Declan Lavery to beat that rival by seven lengths. Trainer Brian Hamilton said of the 7/4 chance, “He’s a fair tool, and keeps improving all the time. We’ve schooled him over hurdles and were thinking of going hurdling. “We might still consider the Cheltenham bumper. It’s 50-50. He settled lovely today but Cheltenham might blow his head. We have the alternative of running him in a few good novice hurdles to give him some experience. “There has been plenty of interest in buying him but nobody has actually made an offer,” added Hamilton. The northern trainer was full of praise for Lavery, who is currently attached to the Willie Mullins stable, saying, “He’s been around my place since he was a young fella, and is going the right way.”
