Phil Kirby is keeping his options open for new recruit Jason The Militant, who is poised to make his stable bow this weekend.

The nine-year-old is entered in the £110,000 Sovereign Handicap Hurdle on day one of Lingfield’s Winter Million weekend on Friday – where he would have to shoulder top weight – while Kirby has also given him an entry in Haydock’s New One Unibet Hurdle on Saturday and the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle back at Lingfield on Sunday.

Twice a winner in Graded company over hurdles when trained by Henry de Bromhead in Ireland, his best performance for his former handler was perhaps when finishing a half-length third to Abacadabras in Punchestown’s Morgiana Hurdle in 2020.

The son of Sans Frontieres is also a Listed winner on the Flat and having made the recent switch to North Yorkshire for £50,000, his new trainer is hoping to enjoy some nice days out under both codes in the year ahead.

“He’s been absolutely grand, he’s very straightforward,” said Kirby. “We schooled him the other day and he jumped well and the plan was always to run in these sort of races.

“He’s got a few bits available to him (this weekend) just to give us the best chance. We’re not going to pick one yet.

“The ground will be ideal for him because he’ll love bottomless ground, so it’s come at the right time really.”

On further plans for Jason The Militant, he added: “We’ll see where we are and work from there.

“I imagine he would struggle in handicaps off his mark (154), so we will try to find these small-field conditions races, see if we can pick up some prize money and have some nice days out with him.

“We’ll definitely have a go on the Flat in some nice places when there is soft ground. He’s been bought to go to some nice places, but he might be a little bit ground dependent, so we may have to pick the right time.”

Kirby’s stable stalwart Top Ville Ben will also be in action this weekend when he attempts to win Lingfield’s Cazoo Handicap Hurdle for the second year in a row.

“It has always to be the plan to go back down there and we’ve worked everything around that a little bit,” continued Kirby.

“He seems in good form and is off a nice mark. I know he’s getting older, but it doesn’t seem to be stopping him too much yet, so we’ll go there hopeful.”