Charlie Longsdon rates Kilcooley as a 60-40 chance to line up in the Ryanair World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The seven-year-old stepped up his preparation for a potential shot at the Grade One prize with a racecourse gallop at Kempton on Tuesday.
After making a winning return to action in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby in October, the six-times winner has not raced since after meeting with a couple of setbacks.
Partnered by title-chasing jockey Richard Johnson, the dual Grade Two-winning hurdler took part in an exercise on the all-weather track at the Sunbury course alongside stablemates Kilfinichen Bay, No No Mac and Tjongejonge.
Longsdon said: "Richard was very happy with him. He said he seems fit and well. He has had soundness issues this season and as long as he comes out of this bit of work all right, he will go to Cheltenham.
"He will improve for the bit of work today. We couldn't be more positive on what we've seen today.
"From being very 50-50, I would say I'm now 60-40 towards in favour. If he is lame tonight or lame tomorrow morning, that would put a totally different spin on it.
"We don't have to go to Cheltenham. There is Aintree, Punchestown and Auteuil - Cheltenham is not the be all and end all.
"The owners are away at the moment and we will have a big discussion. but we will only go there if we are 110 per cent happy."
While the prospects of Kilcooley forming part of Longsdon's Festival team remain in the balance, one horse who will definitely be heading there is Kilfinichen Bay, who has entries in both the Coral Cup and Pertemps Network Final.
Longsdon said: "He has won eight of his 10 races (for Longsdon) and has gone up from a mark of 80 to 140, so it shows how well in he must have been the first day he won.
"He came fifth off top weight in a qualifier back at Cheltenham in the autumn, which was important as he qualified.
"He will be off a nice racing weight now and he is a massive improver. We won't rule out the Coral Cup with him as a fast-run race might suit him as well.
"The Pertemps has always been the favoured option but we have also got Our Kaempfer in that race."