Paul Nicholls has confirmed that he is now taking Zarkandar to the Cheltenham Festival.

The 10-year-old impressed at Haydock over the weekend when he won the Rendelsham Hurdle, before which point Nicholls was going to take him straight to the National meeting at Aintree.

But now Zarakandar will be given the chance to impress at Prestbury Park in the Stayers’ Hurdle and is rated at 25/1 for the race .

Nicholls said: “It wasn’t the greatest race on Saturday, but he travelled great and won well. He will run in the Stayers’ Hurdle as long as everything is OK. I think the lads that own him are quite keen to go to Cheltenham.

“I just looked at it and he really has come out of the race quite well. If we are not happy, we will wait and go to Aintree.”

Another one of Nicholls’s big names is Saphir Du Rheu and he will be taking his place in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which he is listed at 50/1.

“He has got plenty of ability and I know we’ve not seen the best of him yet. There is a real decent race in this horse at some stage.”

The eight-year-old also has an entry into the Ultima Handicap Chase – but he is now lined up for the big one.

“He is in a little bit of no-man’s land because he has got quite a high mark now. I’ve entered him in the Ultima, but he is almost certain to run in the Gold Cup,” he said,

“He has got plenty of ability and I know we’ve not seen the best of him yet. There is a real decent race in this horse at some stage.

“It’s not the worst idea in the world to run Saphir Du Rheu in the race, as an outsider like him can run into a place.”