Charlie Longsdon outlines Sefton option for Monbeg Charmer

Monbeg Charmer could take a step up in class for a shot at the Sefton Novices' Hurdle at the Randox Health Grand National Festival at Aintree in April.Although the six-year-old advanced his Cheltenham Festival claims with victory in an Albert Bartlett trial at Musselburgh last Sunday, trainer Charlie Longsdon feels that a trip to Merseyside may be more suitable.He said: "It was a good performance by Monbeg Charmer at Musselburgh and he did it quite comfortably. He had a break since his last run purely because of the ground.He is horse that has got the ability to go to Cheltenham, but whether it is this year I'm not too sure." Longsdon went on:"It might be a year too soon as he is still very mentally immature and he gets very wound up in the paddock. Whether 50,000 people at Cheltenham is too much for him is something we will decide over the next few weeks. "He deserves to run in a good novice, but that (Sefton) might be a better option as it would be slightly quieter at Aintree and not so intense. He will have a quiet 10 days now and we will see what the next few weeks bring."A trip back to Scotland later in the season could be on the cards for Tree Of Liberty after the five-year-old made it third-time lucky at the East Lothian track.Longsdon said: "He deserved that. I thought Brian Hughes gave him a very good ride and he is another horse that is above average. He is a chaser for next season."He will get an entry into one of the spring festivals at either Aintree or Ayr. We might look at a decent novice hurdle at Ayr. There is a good one there over two and a half miles."