Nationals the target for School Boy Hours
School Boy Hours and Sean Flanagan after winning at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting
School Boy Hours will head straight to either Aintree for the Grand National, or Fairyhouse for the Irish equivalent after his Paddy Power Chase win at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The nine-year-old is still a relative novice over fences after just 10 starts and was winning for the first time over the larger obstacles in landing a last-gasp success over Ben Dundee on December 27.
Coming from five lengths down at the last, he showed that staying is clearly his forte, needing every bit of the three miles and 50 yards trip to bag a first prize of €110,000.
Trainer Noel Meade views the JP McManus-owned gelding as a potential Grand National contender and he looks set to be saved for the spring.
"He's in good form and the English National and the Irish National are both under consideration. I'd say it's unlikely he'll run before that," Meade added.
It hasn't been decided upon yet, but that's the most likely route we'll take with him.
School Boy Hours is a general 33-1 for the four and a quarter mile event at Aintree in April.
The trainer provided a less positive update on Jeff Kidder, who enjoyed a spectacular end to last season with big-race wins at Cheltenham, Fairyhouse and Punchestown.
He has been beaten in each of his four starts since, however, and is set for a spell on the sidelines.
Meade said: "He got injured in his box about a month before Christmas. He's over it now, but it held him up completely so he won't make Cheltenham this year."
