A tantalising Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup bid for King George hero Banbridge appears “more likely at this stage”, with Joseph O’Brien continuing to keep a close eye on conditions ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.

Ronnie Bartlett’s nine-year-old relished a step up to three miles over fences at Kempton Park at Christmas, inflicting an agonising defeat on French raider Il Est Francais in the Boxing Day feature after a fine ride from Paul Townend.