Wishfull Thinking is to return from a mid-season break at Cheltenham - but not at this month's Festival.
The 13-year-old is giving Philip Hobbs encouraging signals and the Sandhill trainer is targeting a race at the spring meeting at Prestbury Park.
Hobbs said: "His last run (at Kempton, beaten 49 lengths by Triolo D'Alene in a three-runner race) was disappointing, but I was pleased with his Aintree effort (second in Old Roan Chase). I'm looking at a limited handicap over two miles and five furlongs at Cheltenham in April. We'll see how he gets on before assessing whether to carry on with him."
The Diana Whateley-owned chestnut has held his form incredibly well during the twilight of his career, winning both the Old Roan and Huntingdon's Peterborough Chase last season.
Hobbs is no nearer deciding on a Festival destination for Garde La Victoire and said it is a call that "will go down to the wire".
Garde La Victoire is in the Arkle and the JLT Chase, and his trainer reiterated: "If it's soft it will be the Arkle, but if not (then) to a case of seeing how both races shape up.
"It will be a last-minute call."
Balthazar King is confirmed as on target for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, having made a full recovery from serious injuries sustained in last year's Grand National.
Hobbs said: "He's in very good order. Ideally we want good ground and definitely not soft."