Hurdler to skip a planned Cheltenham outing

We Have A Dream is set to bypass his planned return at Cheltenham on Saturday due to the ground.

Trainer Nicky Henderson would like to see more ease in conditions before unleashing the four-year-old, who was a seven-length winner in a Grade One heat at Aintree on his final start last term.

We Have A Dream had been pencilled in for the Masterson Holdings Hurdle, but Henderson will seek another route, with a trip to Wincanton a possibility next month.

He told his Unibet blog: “There is a four-year-old -only hurdle race at Cheltenham on Saturday which would have been ideal for We Have A Dream, but I’m afraid he won’t be running as the ground is simply too quick for him, so we’ll have to look elsewhere.

“It all very much depends on what the weather is doing, but we may have a look at the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton on November 10 if there is enough rain. Time is ticking on however, and some options are going to get missed which is very frustrating.

“I think we all know that it’s very difficult for last season’s four-year-olds to keep improving so they’ve got to be very good to overcome it, but he was progressive all the way through and I’d like to think he can continue doing so.

“Whether he’s Champion Hurdle class, only time will tell, but I’m sure we’ll have plenty of fun with him when the rain finally arrives.”

L’Ami Serge was another Grade One winner for Henderson at Aintree, but he has been ruled out for the campaign through injury.

The trainer added: “L’Ami Serge is having to take a year out, which is very disappointing.

“We went to Auteuil for the French Champion Hurdle, which he’d won the year before, and unfortunately he came back with a bit of a problem so he’s going to have sit out this season.”