Dermot Weld has warned punters than Rite Of Passage has a tall order ahead of him when he attempts to keep his unbeaten record in place in the Book Your Festival Tickets Hurdle at Punchestown on Wednesday.

The six-year-old has looked mightily impressive so far this season and has not looked back since he chased home Dunguib when sent off a warm order in the Champion Bumper at last year’s Festival.

Weld is reluctant to make any long term plans with his star, despite him running away with two emphatic victories at Leopardstown this year and the trainer explained: "He's well, but he has a tough assignment with Healy's Bar in there as he's rated 144," said Weld.

"That is a fair high rating so it's going to be a stiff task for our horse and we'll just see what happens.

"He's running over two and a half miles for the first time but I'm not looking beyond Wednesday.

"He's in both novice races at Cheltenham but I've not even committed him to going there and he could even go back to the Flat.

"We'll just see what happens at Punchestown."

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Neptune Novices Hurdle - Ladbrokes
2m 5f, Cheltenham Festival, March 2010 ,
4 Rite Of Passage, 10 Finians Rainbow, 10 Quantitativeeasing, 12 Peddlers Cross, 12 Quel Esprit, 12 Reve De Sivola, 14 Restless Harry, 20 Candy Creek, 20 General Miller, 20 Shinrock Paddy, 25 Ghizao, 25 Manyriverstocross, others on request (1/4 odds 1,2,3)