The Champion Bumper is the main spring objective for Moon Racer after connections decided against pursuing a career over hurdles this season.

The six-year-old was a runaway winner of a valuable sales bumper at Fairyhouse last April, after which he changed hands for a whopping £225,000 and joined David Pipe.

Moon Racer made an impressive start for his new connections when waltzing clear in a bumper at Cheltenham in October.

As he has been off the track since then, connections feel it is now too late to go jumping this season.

Harry Drew, son of part-owner Bryan Drew, said: "He's going to stick to bumpers and will hopefully go to Cheltenham for the big one in March.

"For one reason or another, he wasn't ready to go for a run after his win at Cheltenham - he just wasn't quite right.

"I think we'd have liked to have gone hurdling and aimed towards the Supreme Novices' Hurdle as he's a six-year-old now, but both David and my dad just felt it was going to be a rush to have him ready to run over hurdles at the Festival.

"The Champion Bumper is still a good race to aim for.

"He may have a run again before then, or he may not."

Moon Racer is the first British-trained horse in William Hill's Champion Bumper market, behind the Irish trio of Up For Review Bordini and Vigil