The lightly raced Gentlemansgame is still on course for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup and could have his prep in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown next month.

The Mouse Morris-trained gelding was having just his third run over fences when beating Bravemansgame in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in early November but has been absent since.

“He got a bruise that went up right into his foot,” Morris told the Nick Luck Daily podcast.

“He’ll get an entry in the Cotswold Chase as an option but I’d prefer not to go to Cheltenham and he’ll be entered at Leopardstown. We could also just bring him up to Leopardstown and give him a good bit of work and go straight to Cheltenham,” said the Everardsgrange trainer.

“It depends how he gets on in the next few weeks. At the moment I’d say he’ll run in Leopardstown, but he’ll probably take the run.

Morris, who won the Gold Cup with War Of Attrition back in 2006, added: “He’s got the quality to win a Gold Cup, but he doesn’t really have a turn of foot. He’ll stay all day.

“The difference between War Of Attrition and him is War Of Attrition would win over two miles.”

Gentlemansgame is generally a 20/1 shot for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.