Noel George is planning to send Il Est Francais straight to the Cheltenham Festival, with the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Gold Cup currently considered more likely targets than the Ryanair Chase.

Results have been mixed for the seven-year-old since his brilliant victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton last season, but he showed his true colours on his return to the Sunbury circuit on Boxing Day when putting up another bold show from the front in the King George.