Ground conditions will decide which race Shantou Village will run in at the Cheltenham Festival following his creditable effort at the track on Saturday.
A brilliant winner of a Grade Two at Prestbury Park in November, Neil Mulholland's six-year-old had to make do with minor honours in the latest trial for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle as Alan King's Yanworth dominated.
Mulholland feels the testing conditions were to blame from what he believes was a below-par display and he is not ruling out a potential rematch with the winner in the Neptune itself.
However, the longer Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle now appears his most likely target, assuming better ground prevails throughout the Festival.
"He hated the ground and basically never went a yard on it. Ruby (Walsh) said he ran a cracker to finish second and he wouldn't mind riding him on good ground," said Mulholland.
"We weren't surprised he didn't like the ground, but we had to try and he's come out of the race well.
"He won't run on that ground again and where he runs at Cheltenham, if he goes there, will be totally down to the ground.
"If it's dry on both days we're probably looking towards the Albert Bartlett, but if it's dry on the Wednesday and looks like it might be softer on Friday, we'll run in the Neptune.
"If we get a wet Cheltenham, we'll miss it altogether and wait for Aintree."
Mulholland was pleased with The Young Master's effort in finishing sixth in the Cleeve Hurdle and he, too, is bound for the Festival.
The Somerset-based trainer also had horses run with credit at Doncaster, with Fox Norton third in the Lightning Novices' Chase and Pass The Time fourth in the mares' hurdle.
"The Young Master is grand and it was just a sharpener for him more than anything," said Mulholland.
"The Druids Nephew ran in the Cleeve last year before winning the Ultima Chase at Cheltenham and that would be the plan for the Young Master.
"The mare ran well at Doncaster. She hung in the straight and should probably have finished a bit closer.
"She'll run in the mares race at Cheltenham. She'll probably come up a bit short, but she's run well in the race the last two years and won't disgrace herself.
"She's a home-bred and has won eight races, so she owes us nothing.
"Fox Norton ran fine. They went a good, solid gallop and he made a mistake four out.
"He probably lacks the class of the top horses, but he's been second and third in two Grade Twos this season, so he's running well.
"We'll probably miss Cheltenham with him, but he might go to Fairyhouse and we also have a couple of options in France."