Last year's top novice Boss Doyle yesterday got the green light to take on Escartefigue in Saturday's Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.
The Aintree festival winner will be flown to Britain today to take in the three-mile contest as a possible prelude to running in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury next month.
"Tony McCoy will ride and the horse is very well after having schooled at Punchestown last Thursday. I hope the ground doesn't get too heavy at Wetherby, but all being well, the Hennessy will be a target afterwards," said trainer Mouse Morris.
As well as Escartefigue, runner-up to Florida Pearl in the SunAlliance at Cheltenham, Boss Doyle is also set to take on the 1997 Tripleprint Gold Cup winner Addington Boy.
In contrast to Morris, Florida Pearl's trainer Willie Mullins is still intent on keeping his powder dry until the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
"The basic plan of the Ericsson, the Hennessy and Cheltenham is still the same. I couldn't see him having a run before Christmas," said Mullins yesterday about the Gold Cup favourite, who is currently doing long canters.
One question that Mullins and Dorans Pride's trainer Michael Hourigan are not rushing to answer is which horse will Richard Dunwoody ride should Florida Pearl and Dorans Pride clash at Christmas.
"It's not worrying me at the moment," said Mullins, while Hourigan, who ruled Dorans Pride out of a Christmans trip to Britain for the King George, added: "That will be Richard Dunwoody's problem on the day - presuming both horses are sound." Hourigan confirmed his stable star will first of all run in the Morris Oil Chase at Clonmel, but the Limerick trainer has a more immediate problem as he is currently trying to find the stable's colours bag which was mislaid at Galway races on Monday and which contains the passports of horses such as Tell The Nipper and Deejaydee.
Clonmel is not on the agenda of Danoli, but his trainer Tom Foley said yesterday: "I want to get a run into him in November. We're very happy with since Gowran and he has come on a lot for it. He knows he's back now!"
If Foley cannot find a race for Danoli in November, he has the safety net of the Durkan Chase at Punchestown on December 6th, but he didn't rule out a possible trip to Britain for the popular 10-year-old either.
