Rough Quest has suffered a slight setback and will miss his intended reappearance at Chepstow tomorrow. Terry Casey has been forced to delay the comeback of the 1996 Grand National winner for at least a week.

"He has bruised the sole of his foot on his off-fore," the trainer said yesterday. "The blacksmith and the vet have just been and said there is no way he can run on Saturday.

"We have to leave the shoe off for three or four days so that definitely rules him out. "But he should be able to run next weekend and the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock is one possibility for him."

Leg trouble has kept Rough Quest off the track since he finished second in the King George VI Chase at Kempton last St Stephen's Day. He had been due to return in Chepstow's Coral Rehearsal Chase, with Dean Gallagher in the saddle.

Rerouting to Haydock could see Rough Quest clash with The Grey Monk and Simply Dashing.

Lord Gyllene will not run this season, it was confirmed yesterday. Steve Brookshaw had hinted that Stan Clarke's Grand National winner was unlikely to return to Aintree owing to a setback.

And his wife Zena announced: "Steven, Mr Clarke and the vets have further discussed Lord Gyllene's prospects for the 1998 National and have decided that, though they are very pleased with his progress, they will not take the risk this year with his being still such a young horse."

The nine-year-old Lord Gyllene had been one of the most impressive Grand National winners in recent years when he scored by 25 lengths from Suny Bay at Aintree last April.

Mary Reveley was yesterday confident that a minor illness which has ruled Marello out of the Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham a week on Saturday will not affect her long-term plans. She hopes that her unbeaten hurdler could be back in action "around Christmas time or soon after."

"We were going to go to Cheltenham but we will have to wait as Marello has a dirty nose and is coughing," the trainer said yesterday.

"We have a few with it but we are hoping it won't take too long as they are not off their feed.

"When she runs will depend in how quickly she gets over it. She is entered in the Tote Gold Trophy in February and it would be a disaster if she was not ready by then. But we have to get her well."

Marello is quoted at 25 to 1 for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle by William Hill, having maintained her 100 per cent record with victory in the Tote Silver Trophy at Chepstow last month.

Stable-companion Turnpole, winner of the Tote Cesarewitch at Newmarket in October, is set for a step up in class after finishing third in a handicap hurdle at Cheltenham last month. "He could go to Ascot for the Long Walk Hurdle," Mrs Reveley revealed.

"I thought he ran very well at Cheltenham. He is not a natural jumper and he jumped better than previously that day."