Imperial Call will miss Leopardstown's Hennessy Gold Cup on February 6th but his trainer Raymond Hurley has not yet ruled the horse out of another tilt at the Gold Cup crown at Cheltenham in March.
Dogged by injury since his vintage year of 1996 when successful at both Leopardstown and Cheltenham, Imperial Call's latest problem revolves around muscle trouble in his back and a joint problem in a front leg.
"The truth of it is he wouldn't be fit enough to run in the Hennessy and he is not entered in it. He's coming along nicely now and is in light work so I wouldn't yet rule him out of Cheltenham. He's entered in the Gold Cup but realistically he would need a run before it," Hurley said yesterday.
That possible preparation race could be a hurdle and Hurley added: "He's gone back to hurdles before and run well and a hurdle race say three weeks before Cheltenham would give us a good insight into his fitness, how he's jumping and how he's going generally. We're not getting too excited yet but I suppose he would need to be stepping up in his work pretty soon if he is to go to Cheltenham."
Imperial Call hasn't raced since mid-October when he finished lame and last of four behind Ferbet Junior at Gowran. However, previous to that at the Punchestown festival he echoed his glory year with a comprehensive defeat of Florida Pearl and Dorans Pride in the Heineken Gold Cup.
In contrast Dorans Pride is being targeted at a repeat victory in the Hennessy but could have another warm up race before that at either Leopardstown or Naas.
A gallant winner over hurdles at Navan last Sunday, Dorans Pride, winner of the Hennessy in 1998, could go over the smaller obstacles again at Leopardstown on Sunday week or at Naas at the end of the month.
His trainer Michael Hourigan has confirmed he will enter Dorans Pride in the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham but said yesterday: "The Hennessy looks the one at the minute but I think another run over hurdles could do him the world of good."
The return to action of the champion jockey Ruby Walsh will be delayed by a further two weeks after Walsh aggravated his leg injury in a schooling fall.
Walsh had hoped to return at Naas tomorrow but a fall on the schooling grounds at the Curragh this week has frustrated those plans.
Walsh broke his leg in the Czech Republic on October 10th.
