It looks as if Stage Affair will, after all, take his chance against Istabraq in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Despite disappointing when only fourth to Istabraq at Leopardstown last weekend, Stage Affair's trainer Dermot Weld said yesterday: "It's more likely he will stay hurdling and go for the Champion Hurdle. I would say that is probable."

A novice chasing career had originally been the plan for Stage Affair this season but that now looks to be on hold. The seven-year-old was as low as 12 to 1 for the Champion Hurdle. "I can't rule out novice chasing yet as he has jumped fences very well in his schooling. I need to discuss it more with his two owners (Robert Sinclair and the Champion Hurdle sponsor Michael Smurfit) but the Champion Hurdle is more likely," Weld emphasised.

The Curragh trainer admitted to being "disappointed" by Stage Affair's run in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle but pointed to interference he met at the second last when Moscow Flyer fell.

"He was knocked off his stride by the melee at the second last. He had been going effortlessly before that but it was disappointing he never got going again after it," he said.

At Down Royal yesterday, Rostropovich failed to advertise his Cheltenham festival prospects when only finishing third in the £25,000 Juvenile Hurdle. The 180,000 gns purchase could make no headway under pressure in the straight, although he did stay on in the closing stages to finish just over three lengths behind Kadoun. Kadoun, fitted with blinkers and reversing previous Naas placings with Morris's charge, will head for the Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran Park. "That will tell us if he is good enough to go for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle. Pittsburgh Phil is our horse for the Triumph Hurdle," said his trainer, Michael O'Brien.