For the second year running, Bristol De Mai's Triple Crown claims were shattered over Christmas, when this time falling at the final fence on the first lap in the King George at Kempton.
However, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has remained positive, and has suggested that the eight-year-old could have a run back over hurdles in preparation for heading to Cheltenham, with a potential date with the Gold Cup looming.
The popular grey landed back-to-back Betfair Chase's at Haydock in November, beating now-three subsequent King George winners along with the 2018 Gold Cup hero, and could return to his favourite track where he poses such an incredible record, for the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle.
(Credit: Racing Post) NTD said: "He’s fine, he was a bit bruised afterwards but nothing too bad. He’s cantering away now so onwards and upwards.
"There’s plenty of time for him to show his best again this season. He might go back to Haydock and actually we might run him over hurdles in the Rendlesham next, that’s a possibility, and then the Gold Cup," he said.
“The Rendlesham was a plan we were trying to hatch the other day when I was talking to Anthony [Bromley]. I thought it was a funny idea at first, but then what do you do," he concluded.
Bristol De Mai will skip the Cotswold Chase at the Festival venue - a race where he finished third last year, for a return to Merseyside where he is unbeaten.
He is a general 20/1 shot for the Magners Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March.