Dermot Weld believes Silver Concorde is capable of making his presence felt in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Winner of the Champion Bumper in 2014, the eight-year-old found Supasundae too strong at Leopardstown over Christmas, but Weld expects his charge to raise his game significantly provided a sound surface prevails on the opening day of the Festival.
"He's coming along nicely and you must always remember he wants real good ground. As we all know, he's a top of the ground horse," said the Rosewell House maestro.
"He was over at Punchestown last Friday and got on very well. He schooled there and we were very satisfied with him."
Weld may also saddle Sunday's Naas scorer Vigil [pictured below with the noseband] in either the Supreme or the Neptune, while he is bullish about the chances of his Champion Bumper contender First Figaro.
Although the six-year-old has managed just one win from four starts in National Hunt Flat races, he has filled the runner-up spot on his other appearances and he is another horse Weld feels will be seen in a far better light when the ground dries up.
"He's been very consistent, he's never been worse than second," Weld told At The Races.
"He ran excellent, I thought, at Leopardstown at Christmas to be second and if he got good ground I think he'll run a very respectable race.
"If he gets nice ground, he will run very well."
One Weld inmate not under consideration for the major jumps Festivals this spring is high-class Flat stayer Forgotten Rules.
Winner of his first four starts before finishing third in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last summer, the Moyglare Stud-owned six-year-old endured a disappointing end to the last Flat campaign and there were rumours before Christmas of a potential stint over hurdles.
However, Forgotten Rules will not be pursuing a jumps career any time soon and Weld has earmarked the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in May as a likely comeback target for his charge.
"He's a lovely horse and a very high-class stayer on the Flat and that's what he will concentrate on," said the trainer.
"He'll probably start off in the Vintage Crop at Navan."
Weld also provided a brief update on last year's Neptune hero Windsor Park, who was last seen finishing last of four in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown in December.
He said: "We've had hold-ups with him and I think it will be later in the season before he returns.
"He's a Grade One winner at Cheltenham and he'll stick to going jumping."
