Last season's Champion Bumper winner Moon Racer could make his belated hurdling debut in one of the championship novice events at the Cheltenham Festival.
The David Pipe-trained seven-year-old was a brilliant winner at Prestbury Park last March, but has not been seen in competitive action since after suffering an early-season setback.
Trainer David Pipe confirmed his charge is on the road to recovery, but with the start of the Festival now less than seven weeks away, the Pond House handler feels there is not enough time to get a run in beforehand.
This could mean Moon Racer is thrown in at the deep end in either the Supreme or the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.
"Moon Racer might go straight to Cheltenham," said Pipe.
"It's a case of so far, so good with him, but he won't run before the Festival."
Moon Racer was ante-post favourite for the Supreme at the start of the season, but is now available at 33-1 with Coral.
He is the same odds with the same firm for the Neptune, should connections decide to step up in distance.