Crambo is a notable absentee from the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday, with trainer Fergal O’Brien preferring to keep his star hurdler fresh for the Festival in March.

A winner of the competitive Jewson Handicap Hurdle at Aintree in October, Crambo ran well to finish third behind Slate Lane at Haydock in the Grade 3 Stayers' Handicap Hurdle during the Betfair Chase meeting at Haydock Park. Despite facing a field of battle-hardened stayers, the seven-year-old made a successful transition into Graded company when defeating Paisley Park and Dashel Drasher in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on 23 December.

Whilst the second, third and fourth – Paisley Park, Dashel Drasher and Champ – are set to reoppose in Saturday's Cleeve Hurdle, Crambo will go straight to Cheltenham for a tilt at the Grade 1 Stayers' Hurdle at the Festival in March.

"Crambo is in great form and he had a hard race at Ascot, so he's just stepping up his work again and tipping away," said F M O'Brien.

"Eve, who looks after him and rides him, is very happy with him and he actually did his first piece of work on Saturday since he won and we were very happy with him.

"He was in a proper battle with those boys at Ascot and he doesn't need to do that again until Cheltenham, so fingers crossed he will turn up at Cheltenham in the same form as Ascot and do the job for us.

"What I loved about Ascot was he jumped the last and looked like he was going to go away and win and Paisley Park thought 'I'm not giving this up' and actually got back ahead of him.

"Five or six strides from the line, he managed to get back in front and started to go away again, so it will give him huge confidence and give Johnny (Burke, jockey) confidence in him.

"He doesn't show anything at home but he just has a fantastic will to win."

Crambo is a general 9/1 shot for the Stayers' Hurdle in March.