Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup contender Castle Mane is set to make his reappearance at Haydock Park a week tomorrow.
Caroline Bailey, trainer of last season's outstanding hunter chaser, has confirmed that the eight-year-old will be entered for the Walrus Hunter Chase.
She said: "All being well, we'll be at Haydock. It'll be a good contest and we'll get an idea about whether to go for the Gold Cup this year or wait another season.
"We'll let the horse tell us with his performance at Haydock if he is ready."
The horse that wins the Walrus Hunter Chase earns a bonus of £25,000 if he goes on to win the major hunter chases at Cheltenham and Aintree in March and April. A victory in one of the subsequent races earns a £10,000 bonus.
Very soft going would deter Mrs Bailey from running her stable star at Haydock.
She warned: "Castle Mane is a front runner and he gives 110 per cent in every race so, while soft going won't bother us, heavy ground would not do for his first run of the season."
Castle Mane, who was unbeaten in three starts last term including a victory in the Christies Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham, is a 25-1 chance with Ladbrokes for the Gold Cup.
