Cheltenahm Festival the target as Barnaviddaun joins David Bridgwater

Barnaviddaun, who won the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle for Tom Mullins recently, has joined David Bridgwater.

The seven-year-old had previously gone close in the EBF Auction Final at Punchestown, saved from that course’s big spring festival.

His new trainer is hoping the Cheltenham Festival beckons in March before a novice-chase campaign next season.

“He won a nice race last time out, and I’m hoping he might end up in either the Coral Cup or the Pertemps Final,” said Bridgwater.

“To be honest, we’ve never been a handicap hurdle yard – we’re known for novice chasers really – so to have a horse like him who might end up at Cheltenham is fantastic.

“I’m not thinking we’re going to go and win it or improve him off Tom Mullins or anything daft, but it would be nice to get him to Cheltenham.

“The reason we bought him is because I want him as a three-mile chaser for next year, that’s what we’re after. We’ll look after him until then really.

“We’ve bought him for an existing owner in the yard. We can’t afford to go and buy these pointers that fetch stupid money – I’d rather go down the route of those who have already shown some form.”