Dave’s Dream’s participation in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle remains in the balance, with trainer Nicky Henderson content to mull over plans for Saturday’s Paddy Power Imperial Cup winner.
The lightly-raced six-year-old slaughtered a high-class field at Sandown Park under Barry Geraghty to put himself in line for a £75,000 bonus, should he follow up at Cheltenham on Friday.
Ladbrokes make the seven-length winner their 5-1 favourite for the County Hurdle, but Henderson is torn between running for the bonus and preserving the horse’s long-term future.
The master of Seven Barrows said: “He was very fresh and well this morning, and is inviting me to do something that I wouldn’t normally.
“Barry said he didn’t have hard race and he was so well this morning.
“I am very tempted to run him as the bonus is very good. It is a very generous £75,000, which is a lot of money, and it makes it a £150,000 race for us.
“I do like these bonuses but I don’t see this horse as a handicap hurdler – he is a chaser so the bonus is setting me a dilemma.
“I will have to sit and have a think about whether to run.
“The race isn’t until Friday so there is plenty of time to make a decision.”