Le Breuil enters Festival equation for Ben Pauling following Newbury victory

Le Breuil could be a late addition to trainer Ben Pauling's Cheltenham Festival team after running out a convincing winner of the RR Elite "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle at Newbury.Although not seen out since making a winning debut over hurdles at Sedgefield last November, the five-year-old, who holds entries in both the Neptune and Albert Bartlett, proved too strong for Benatar when claiming the extended two-and-a-half-mile contest by nine lengths.Following the race, he was cut from 33-1 to 20-1 by BetVictor for both his Festival options.Pauling said: "I've just about talked this horse up to everyone. It is a good step back on the ladder."Nico (de Boinville, jockey) said he had a good blow after the last. All in all it was a fantastic performance. His jumping is just electric. He is fast and accurate and hopefully he has a big future."The reason I left him in at Cheltenham was just in case he came out of this like a bull in a china shop. I'm pleased I left him in as it gives us options. If we don't go to Cheltenham, we will look at Aintree."Michael Scudamore faces an anxious wait to see if Dinsdale (6-1) makes the cut for the Fred Winter after he opened his account in the Pheasant Inn Juvenile Hurdle.The four-year-old picked up a 5lb penalty to increase his chances of getting into the Grade Three contest later this month after getting the better of favourite Most Celebrated by a length and a quarter.Scudamore said: "They are going really well. That is the 21st winner of the season, which is by far our best. Things could not have gone any better over the last week, from this time last week winning the Devon National to this chap winning."I thought turning into the straight he would find it a bit tough but fair play to the horse, he is really tough and stuck his head out well in the end."He is entered in the Fred Winter and the plan was if he ran well today, then try to squeeze into that. If he is able to creep in, then that's the target."A step up to Grade One company at Aintree next month could now be on the cards for Debece (5-2 favourite) after he demolished his rivals in the Physicool Handicap Hurdle.After finishing third on his last two starts, the Tim Vaughan-trained runner turned the two-and-a-half-mile contest into a procession when coming home by an eased-down 19 lengths.Vaughan said: "We went for it at Cheltenham and Aintree off a lower mark but he was a bit inexperienced."I said to Alan (Johns, jockey) to grab it by the scruff of the neck and get on with it as we wanted to win this. This is a proper horse. The plan was to go to Aintree after this and he needed to go up in the weights to get there."We have a choice of the three-mile handicap or running off level weights in the Sefton."He is a half-brother to Don Poli and he is crying out for three miles and fences, but I just wanted to nurse him and I didn't want to run him on sticky winter ground."Lady Mix (20-1) could be another in line for a trip to Merseyside after running out a convincing 15-length winner of the concluding bumper.Nigel Hawke, winning trainer, said: "We always thought a bit of her."I won't put her on fast ground, but we will seriously look at that race at Aintree on Grand National day after the way she did that today."The Tom George-trained Behind The Wire (7-2) gained his second win over fences with a three-and-a-quarter-length success in the Agetur UK Chase, while Tommy Dowling secured his first winner at the track when steering the Charlie Mann-trained Wishicould (14-1) to glory in the Rickerty Bridge Handicap Hurdle.Plaisir D'Amour (13-8) backed up her victory at Wetherby last time out to get Venetia Williams on the score sheet in the Berry Bros & Rudd Handicap Chase.