“He hasn’t lost it yet,” said the Co Kildare trainer.

“He’s fine this morning and we’ll consider the Hatton’s Grace, but we’ll just see how he is.

“It’s only a fortnight after his first run. If he doesn’t go there he’s more than likely to go to Leopardstown over Christmas. We’ll know in a week’s time.”

Hardy Eustace was runner-up to Al Eile in the December Festival Hurdle at the Dublin track last winter.

Hughes has high hopes for Western Charmer after the six-year-old defeated odds-on Corskeagh Royale in a two-and-a-half mile maiden hurdle on the same Punchestown card.

“We can go anywhere with him. He’ll go for the long-distance novice hurdles over two and a half to three miles,” the trainer added.

“Yesterday it looked like three miles would be no bother to him, even in the top company.

“We’ll just let him get over that first. There’s a two-mile-six at Leopardstown round about Christmas that Siegemaster just got beat in last year. I’ll probably run him in that and he could go somewhere before it.”