Owner Rich Ricci is happy to pursue the Cheltenham Gold Cup dream with Vautour following his narrow defeat in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old looked likely to take top honours in the Boxing Day feature after cruising into the home straight in front, but he was eventually reeled in by Cue Card and went down by a head in one of the most thrilling renewals of the King George in recent years.
Given that was his first start over three miles, connections have the option of coming back in distance for the shorter Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, particularly with Ricci already having one major contender for the Gold Cup in the form of last season's runner-up Djakadam.
But the owner told At The Races: " Vautour was brilliant and very brave. It's a real head-scratcher. I'm not sure what to do and we'll think about where he goes next.
"I'm happy, for the time being, to continue planning Vautour for the Gold Cup. He lost nothing in defeat and jumped brilliantly.
"We'll have to see how he comes out of the race, but I'm happy to aim both of them (Vautour and Djakadam) there and things will become clear, I suppose."
Mullins feels Vautour would have held on had he produced a better leap at the final obstacle.
" I'm disappointed we didn't win in a race we looked like we were going to win, but I just felt he didn't jump the last as good as he could and that was the difference between winning and losing," said the champion trainer.
Vautour's jockey Ruby Walsh added: "I t's gutting to get chinned on the line in such a prestigious race and I suppose I watched it 15 or 20 times last night wondered 'what if' and if I did this, that and the other, but unfortunately you only get once chance and you can't ride it in hindsight.
"It was his first run outside novice company in a Grade One open race and he ran a blinder.
"He's only a six-year-old and I still think he world of him."