Aidan O'Brien is looking to saddle his first runner at the Cheltenham Festival since 2002 after Shield booked his place in the Champion Bumper with a fine victory at Leopardstown.

Ireland's perennial champion Flat trainer is no stranger to National Hunt racing having trained the incredible Istabraq to win three successive runnings of the Champion Hurdle.

However, the master of Ballydoyle had not saddled a National Hunt runner in more than eight years until Shield and stable companion Egyptian Warrior made their racecourse debuts at Punchestown last month.

Having finished fourth and fifth respectively on that occasion, both horses were turned out again for a Flat Race on Sunday.

Shield was sent off at 8-1 in the hands of Kate Harrington and picked up well in the home straight to beat favourite Grecian Tiger, trained by another legend of the Flat in Dermot Weld, by half a length.

Egyptian Warrior, a full-brother to this year's Derby favourite Kingsbarns, failed to build on the promise of his debut and was well beaten under the trainer's daughter, Sarah .

Shield is now as short as 14-1 for the Champion Bumper and his trainer confirmed his son and last season's Irish champion Flat jockey Joseph O'Brien would take the ride.

"Sarah is starting to ride in bumpers now and that's the reason I have a few horses for bumpers," O'Brien said.

"I think Joseph is able to get special permission to ride him in the Cheltenham bumper. He inquired about it during the week.

"Shield is a home-bred and by Dylan Thomas. They get better with every year.

"He is a lovely, good looking horse and I have a few more bumper horses also ready to run."