Josh Gifford will have just two runners at next week's Cheltenham Festival after ruling today's Fontwell winner Mr Markham out of the meeting.
The eight-year-old is entered in the Cathcart Chase next Thursday but Josh Gifford is now looking for alternatives over a longer trip.
Mr Markham, second to Blowing Wind at Ascot on his previous start, was under pressure from Philip Hide turning for home in the www.thehorsesmouth.co.uk Novices' Chase.
He was still three lengths behind Hescondido at the final fence, but both he and Arlas overpowered the leader 50 yards from home with Mr Markham prevailing by a short head.
Gifford said: "If he'd have trotted up today we might just have thought about the Cathcart, but he just hasn't got enough experience. His heart's in the right place and you don't want to break it.
"I think we might look at one of those three-mile novice chases at one of those Ascot meetings where he doesn't get a penalty."
Gifford's Festival pair are Mr Percy in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and Skycab in the Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase.
"It's sad, but there's no point going just for the sake of it," said Gifford, who believes that his Champion Hurdle outsider is good enough to pick up prize money.
"I bet you Mr Percy is in the first four," he declared.
Charlie Egerton, who handles the Coral Cup favourite Teaatral, introduced another horse from the same source when Seixo Branco made a wining debut in the www.thehorsesmouth.co.uk Maiden Hurdle.
Seixo Branco drew clear under Norman Williamson from the home turn to score comfortably by five lengths from Mulligatawny.
Egerton bought Seixo Branco privately in France last autumn and his representative Joe Tuite said: "He was entered in the Triumph Hurdle but we didn't want to push him just to get a run into him for that race.
"I think we'll look for another small race for him. He's a nice horse and he's by the same stallion, Saddlers' Hall, as Teaatral and the two of them are lookalikes."
Nigel Twiston-Davies will be thumbing through the programme book after Spanish Main, ridden by Carl Llewellyn, collared Flaked Oats 50 yards from home in the www.thehorsesmouth.co.uk Novices' Hurdle.
The trainer said: "He'd been very difficult to place under his double penalty and it'll be harder now that he's got three penalties."
Little Dominic Ham will have a happy birthday on Tuesday after his pet, Lansdowne, returned to his father Gerald's stable after winning the Fontwell Park Selling Handicap Hurdle.
Dominic, who is about to celebrate his fifth birthday, already rides the pony sized 12-year-old most mornings at Ham's yard.
But today it needed all the strength of conditional jockey Barry Keniry to get him home by three lengths from Montagnette.
"My little lad will be chuffed. He's already riding this horse. He is so easy to ride," said a happy Ham, tasting success for the first time since last spring.
Lansdowne was winning his 10th race and was giving owner Corey Gardner his first success, having returned to Ham just before Christmas having had a spell with Paul Nicholls.
Ham added: "He's a lovely old horse and he ran a very good race for us at the Cheltenham Festival four years ago, he led over the last in the Joe Coral final."
