His improvement merited a tilt at the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March, where he came up a little short against the likes of Moscow Flyer but still finished a creditable fourth.

Oneway could return to similar company later this season, but has the Beards Jewellers Cup on his agenda first, a race in which Well Chief finished second last season.

“I’ve pencilled him in for Cheltenham on November 11, but it needs to start raining tomorrow for him to run,” said Rimell.

“It’s obviously a bit away and I’m hoping it will rain, but he’s shot up over 40lb in the handicap so it’s not going to be easy to place him.

“We will take it from there. If he runs well, we will look at the top two-mile conditions races, if not we might step him up in trip a bit.

“I think he deserves a chance in those races and I felt he didn’t possibly perform quite as well as I’d expected at Cheltenham.”

Oneway has not run since the Festival and Rimell believes he could be even better after his long break.

“I thought about running him at Sandown in April but I could not quite get him right,” added the Oxfordshire handler.

“I’m delighted with him – he’s in really good form.

“It was his first summer out for two years. He is a late-maturing horse who is bigger and stronger now, so I’m expecting him to be better this season.”

Rimell is also hoping for a good season from Crossbow Creek, who won the Lanzarote Hurdle before placed in a number of top handicaps and will now try his hand over fences.

“He’s going novice chasing, but I’m not sure where,” said Rimell.

“He was not quite top-class over hurdles, although the ground was against him in the Imperial Cup (when fourth), but I hope he’ll be a bit better over fences.”