Gary Moore leaning towards Sandown over Aintree for star chaser after Cheltenham Festival defeat

Editeur Du Gite is likely to bid for more top-level honours in Sandown's Celebration Chase following his Queen Mother Champion Chase defeat, in which his trainer Gary Moore insists he would have finished third had he not suffered severe interference.

A rapid improver this season, the nine-year-old won the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas before landing his first Grade 1 when beating Energumene and Edwardstone in the Clarence House Chase.

He was sent off a 13-2 chance at the Cheltenham Festival but was no match for Energumene when beaten 35 lengths into fourth, although Niall Houlihan and Editeur Du Gite were left short of room turning for home after Paul Townend allowed the winner to drift across. Townend was suspended for five days for careless riding.

While Moore believes the incident cost his stable star minor honours, with the Paul Nicholls-trained Greaneteen snatching third, he will look to get back on track with him on the final day of the jumps season at Sandown next month.

A trip to Aintree's Grand National meeting is unlikely, despite Editeur Du Gite running out the winner of the Red Rum Handicap Chase at the fixture in 2021.

"Things just didn't work out for him at all," Moore said. "The ground went against him and then he was badly hampered on the turn in. I do think he lost out on third because of that, but it is what it is.

"We'll give him another week or two before making a decision but he has two options. One is Liverpool, but looking at how he is that might just come too quickly this time, or he will go for the Celebration Chase, which might be the race for him."

Bo Zenith: will step into Grade 1 company at AintreeCredit: John Grossick

Moore's small Aintree team will likely to be headed by classy juvenile Bo Zenith, who set up a tilt at the Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle with a wide-margin win at Stratford last week. Authorised Speed, who disappointed when sent off favourite for the Tolworth Hurdle but returned to winning ways at Sandown this month, could also head to Merseyside.

Moore said: "Bo Zenith will go for the juvenile Grade 1 and he might be joined up there by Authorised Speed for one of the novice hurdles, we've got nothing else for the meeting.

"Bo Zenith, like many French runners, might need a flatter track with his current experience, and might need more experience full stop – the Triumph would not have been the race for him at all."

Editeur Du Gite could be joined by stablemate Goshen on Sandown's finale card, with the Grade 2 Select Hurdle one of various options for the mercurial talent.

"He'll go there [Sandown] and if he doesn't, we might go back over to Punchestown with him," Moore said. "Or if the ground stays as it is, we may give him a few options on the Flat again. We are going to keep him busy, though."

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