Norman Williamson faces a difficult decision over his mount in Saturday's Victor Chandler Handicap Chase at Ascot.
Williamson has been linked to the Venetia Williams-trained Nordance Prince, winner of the First National Bank Gold Cup Chase at Ascot and the Scott Taylor Appeal Castleford Chase at Wetherby this season.
But the jockey has also been a regular rider of Howard Johnson's Direct Route, second to Flagship Uberalles in the Mitsubishi Shogun Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown last month.
Williamson said on Monday: "I haven't made a decision yet, I'll be speaking to my agent Dave Roberts tonight. Obviously we'll have to make a decision but it's a difficult one.
"Nordance Prince is very well in, I think. He stays well and he jumps well and he's sure to take a lot of beating with 10st on his back.
"On the other hand Direct Route is up there with the best of them. He's still a very good horse."
Howard Johnson is waiting on Williamson's decision but he will be quite happy to put Richard Johnson up if necessary.
The Crook-based trainer reasoned: "Richard is a top-class jockey and rode the horse in a bit of work at Musselburgh the other day. He would do for me.
"The main thing is that the horse is in good form and what we want now is good or good to- irm ground and plenty of runners.
"It is all about the way the race is run. It is the run of the race which has got him beat twice this season, we can't keep him covered up for long enough in small fields.
"I am not worried about the wait, I just want things to go right in the race and if it does I think we can beat Flagship Uberalles and the rest."
Flagship Uberalles is firmly on course for the race at Ascot after coming through a workout on Monday morning.
The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding bids to emulate stable-companion Call Equiname's victory in the race 12 months ago.
Flagship Uberalles has top-weight of 11st 10lb in the £50,000 two-mile event for which 12 horses stood their ground at Monday's forfeit stage.
"He definitely runs as long as the ground is not bottomless," Nicholls said.
"He worked well this morning and seems fine in himself and his American owners are flying over from Arizona to watch him so the obvious intention is to go to Ascot.
"He faces a tough task in the handicap as giving that much weight away to an improving horse like Nordance Prince will not be easy but he's the type that you've got to keep on top of and he needs a run and Saturday's race fits in fine," Nicholls added.
"Joe Tizzard will take the ride."
Nicholls could be double-handed in the contest as Green Green Desert has also been confirmed at the five-day stage.
The trainer said: "He's a possible for the race but I want to see what jockeys are going to be available on that day."
Course specialist Get Real is also among the 12 five-day declarations, as is Aghawadda Gold, who chased home Nordance Prince at Wetherby on his seasonal debut.
