Charlie Longsdon plans to give Hazy Tom one more run at Ascot later this month before aiming him towards one of the major novice hurdle prizes at the Cheltenham Festival.
Following victories in September, October and November, Hazy Tom lost his unbeaten record when third behind Molotof at Ascot in December. Longsdon feels a subsequent break has done his six-year-old a world of good and he remains hopeful he can prove a force this spring.
"He had a break in the second half of December and in the first half of January, but he's back in work now and I'm very happy with him," said Longsdon.
"I don't want to make any excuses for his last run, but there was a feeling he might have been a bit flat that day having been on the go for a while and we know he will be better on better ground.
"We've freshened him up and if there is no frost around and the meeting goes ahead, he could go to Ascot on February 18 for a novice hurdle. We'll see how he gets on there and then aim him towards either the Supreme Novices' Hurdle or the Neptune at Cheltenham."
Another Longsdon inmate with Cheltenham on his radar is Magnifique Etoile, winner of his first two starts over hurdles before finishing third in the Tolworth at Sandown a month ago.
"He also had a break after his last run and again I don't want to make excuses, but the ground was soft enough for him at Sandown," the trainer continued.
"He seems in really good form and probably isn't good enough for the Supreme, so we'll probably aim towards the County Hurdle with him. He'll go straight to Cheltenham now and I think he'll have a hell of an each-way chance in the County Hurdle if all goes well. He's a horse who is improving physically all the time and he'll improve even more next season, when he will be running over fences."
