Shane McGovern looks set to keep the prized ride on the Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle favourite, Limestone Lad, at Cheltenham.
The claiming jockey has ridden the James Bowe-trained horse in his two starts since reverting to hurdles this season and also rode Limestone Lad to finish second to Bacchanal in last year's Stayers' race.
Michael Bowe, the son of the permit holder, didn't confirm McGovern as Limestone Lad's Cheltenham rider after the horse won at Navan on Sunday but it now looks as if the young jockey will take the mount.
"We're leaning towards Shane. Changing jockeys at this stage might work against us and he knows the horse and the horse knows him," Bowe said yesterday.
"It's not a big issue and the horse goes well for Shane. We've had loads of advice and plenty of outside opinion, but at the end of the day it's our decision," he added.
Bowe is very pleased with the way Limestone Lad has emerged from Sunday's Boyne Hurdle victory at Navan.
"I couldn't be happier with him. In fact I've never seen him come out of a race so fresh and well. He hasn't taken his head out of the feed pot!
"His condition is good, his coat is really great and my only regret is that there isn't another race for him this weekend or next."
Looking further ahead than Cheltenham, the Irish Horseracing Authority yesterday announced there will be almost £5 million extra put into the prizemoney fund for the 2001 flat season.
The lowest prize fund for any flat race in Ireland this year will be £7,000, which is up £2,000 on last year. Maiden races for two and three-year-olds at Grade One tracks will have their minimum prize fund almost doubled to £12,500 and there will be a new minimum value of £40,000 for Listed races.
The minimum values of all Group Two and Group Three races have been raised by £20,000 and many Group One races have increased in value too with the Tattersalls Gold Cup doubled in value to £200,000.
Marlborough is ready for his Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup examination after earning a "Bplus" in his big-race test at Wincanton yesterday.
One serious error prevented Robert Ogden's horse gaining top marks for his victory in the Jim Ford Challenge Cup. But most bookmakers were impressed enough to trim Gold Cup prices, with Nicky Henderson's charge now offered at a best-price of 6 to 1 third favourite behind First Gold and See More Business.
