BATTLEOVERDOYEN will head straight to the Cheltenham Festival.

Gordon Elliott’s Grade 1-winning novice had been the ante-post favourite for the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors 50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday, but was not declared on Friday morning.

Elliott won the race with Commander Of Fleet in any case and is likely to split the two in March, with Battleoverdoyen heading for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and Commander Of Fleet targeting the Albert Bartlett.

“He’s had three runs in six weeks so we thought it was the right thing to do with him. We knew we had the other lad so we were okay,” said Elliott.

“He’ll go straight to Cheltenham now for the Ballymore.”