RACING:Cheltenham may be the ultimate aim for most top horses but the highly rated youngster Talbot Road will swerve the festival this year.

Rated “our big hope for the future” by trainer Arthur Moore, Talbot Road impressed when winning a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas but won’t be seen again until next month.

Moore views the horse as a prospective chaser and is prepared to be patient with the point-to-point winner.

“He’s in good form. He’s just been taking it easy for a couple of weeks but hopefully he’ll be back in February,” said the trainer yesterday.

“I’m not sure where we’ll go with him. I’d like to run him in a winners-of-one race somewhere, but I’m not sure there are any,” he added. “We’ll give him a couple of entries and see. He might have to run in a handicap. But he won’t be entered for Cheltenham.”  Talbot Road beat Thunder And Roses by two lengths at Leopardstown two weeks ago.