THESE are exciting times for Cartmel racehorse trainer James Moffatt, who is plotting a tilt at a major prize at next month's Cheltenham Festival with hurdler Chief Dan George.

The fast-improving seven-year-old is rated as the best three-mile novice hurdler in the North after recording back-to-back wins in Grade 2 novice hurdles at Haydock and Wetherby.

The Lord Americo gelding romped away from a classy field in the Brit Insurance Novices Hurdle at Haydock to win at 9-1 for regular jockey Alan Dempsey.

Owner Maurice Chapman, is a businessman/farmer who lives in the village, close to Pit Farm stables, which James runs with his well-known father Dudley now as his assistant.

Chief Dan George looks the part and James said: "He's won four on the spin, hasn't had a hard race and Cheltenham has been the plan all season.

"We've been bringing him along in every run, improving his fitness levels with a view to climaxing for the Festival.

"If he was in a posh southern stable he would be the favourite."

The Moffatts know about winning at the famous Festival meeting. Jimmy had the highlight of his jockey's career riding the stable's Home Counties to win the ultra-competitive County Hurdle six seasons ago.

He came from lying 17th at the final hurdle to get up on the line, an effort which was rated as one of the best 10 rides of the season.

Moffatt is back at Cartmel after a move to a patron-owned set-up at Workington failed to work out due to a difference of opinion.

Change is happening fast and the 23-horse string will be swelled once 18 more boxes are built by the end of March along with the installation of an all-weather wood-fibre gallop, along with five-furlong grass and hill gallops.

"We've good horses," said James, who nominated unraced Robin de La Foley (related to the good chaser Armaturk) and Great Quest, which was brought out of Tommy Stack's yard, as ones to watch out for.

He is also planning to have a crack at the big two-year-old race, the Brocklesby, on the flat at Doncaster with Cayman Fox.