Trainer Ferdy Murphy reports Ballinclay King on track to reappear next week en route to Cheltenham.
The highly-rated gelding finished last of five behind Monsignor in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown last time but Murphy believes that form was all wrong.
Murphy plans to work him at Middleham tomorrow morning and he said: "Adrian Maguire will come up and sit on him and then he will do another piece of work on Tuesday before we see where we go from there.
"He will probably go for an ordinary novices hurdle somewhere at the end of next week - he looks very well at the moment, he has a great skin on him and we are very happy with him."
The six-year-old had won his two hurdle races at Ayr and Haydock before Sandown and Murphy added: "I just don't know what happened there and we will just have to see how he goes next time.
"We can't put a finger on anything, it was one of those things which happen in racing.
"It absolutely wasn't him so we are hoping he will show us where he really is next time and then we can think of Cheltenham."
