For me CH needs to be switched to the flat and if you take sentimentality out of the equation, it is not even a remotely difficult decision to make.
Had he not already won a Champion Hurdle then it becomes a little harder to not consider going back to hudling but he has and given that three falls in his last four races (falls which have been carbon copies of each other) what more evidence do you need to stay on the flat?
Those who have mentioned the Ormonde Stakes as a potential target I think might be forgetting the tight turning Chester track which I can’t see suiting him that much. A big galloping track would be much better for him and the G3 John Porter at Newbury in April would be a great place to go next or maybe the 2m G3 Sagaro Stakes at Ascot or 1m6f G2 Yorkshire Cup at York or 2m G3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown could all be viable options.
He clearly isn’t short of speed based on the fact he dipped under 12s for each of the last 3F at Southwell and hit a top speed of 39.95mph – but clearly the further he went the better he looked so 1m6f and 2m flat races really shouldn’t be an issue either – yes he needs to prove that he is up to that level but until you try it you won’t know. If they were worried about quicker ground conditions there is also the option of pot hunting graded races in and around Europe (particularly in Germany) where they aren’t always have the stiffest competition so they don’t take as much winning generally.
This performance has potentially opened up so many new doors for the horse that (for me) the sooner they make the decision to go down the flat route the better, it is the best choice for the horse which at the end of the day is what really matters.