Noel Meade yesterday gave Dardjini a 50-50 chance of making the Guinness Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham festival. The impressive winner of his only steeplechase so far and one which powered him to the top of the Arkle ante-post lists, Dardjini has been troubled with a joint injury. And while Meade now rates the horse 95 per cent right, it will be a close run thing to get him to the Cotswolds on St Patrick's Day.

"I am still hopeful we will get to Cheltenham. It depends how much work I can get into him but he won't have another run beforehand," Meade said.

The Co. Meath trainer's task will be helped though by the fact that Dardjini doesn't take that much fast work to reach a peak and he is currently doing a lot of steady work.

Nevertheless Meade added: "We will leave a decision as long as we can and really we are still a little in the dark."

Should Dardjini make it to Cheltenham, he is likely to be part of a formidable team sent from Meade's Tu Va stables near Navan which will try and end their trainer's surprising festival blank.

Hill Society is on target to take his place in the Arkle, while Meade could also be two-handed in the Triumph Hurdle with Nomadic and last Wednesday's impressive Navan scorer, Snow Dragon.

A team which may number eight could also include Walk On Mix, who took a heavy fall at Fairyhouse on Sunday but who is still being targeted at the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, and Native Estates, who has a choice of that race or the longer SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.

Wyatt is set to tackle the four-mile National Hunt Chase, while Advocat could take his chance in the County Hurdle.