Romeo Cheltenham decision to be left late

GORDON Elliott plans to make a late call on which race Romeo Coolio will line up in at the Cheltenham Festival next month.

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Romeo Coolio, ridden by Jack Kennedy, and Skylight Hustle, ridden by Stephen Colgan, on the Gallops during a visit to Cullentra House Stables at Longwood in County Meath, Ireland yesterday

Third in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last March, the seven-year-old is four from four over fences including a hat-trick of wins at Grade One level.

He has been made to pull out all the stops on his last couple of starts over two miles at Leopardstown, most recently edging out Kargese in the Irish Arkle, and Elliott feels his charge would ideally like to step up in distance.

However, that would mean tackling three miles and a furlong in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival, meaning the Arkle Trophy remains a. viable option.

“We're going to keep everything up in the air for the moment. We have the Arkle and the Brown Advisory,’ the trainer said at his Cullentra House stables yesterday.

“I don’t think three miles will be a problem at all, just whether it’s the right thing to do at this stage of his career or not I’m not sure.