The eagerly-awaited chasing debut of last season's Stayers' Hurdle hero Iris's Gift has been put on hold again.
Though entered in novice chases at both Warwick and Windsor on Saturday, as well as Exeter on Thursday, his trainer Jonjo O'Neill was not satisfied with a piece of work today.
"Iris's Gift will not be seen out until after Christmas," admitted a dejected O'Neill. "He's been a bit quiet and worked flat, so it's best to take things quietly with him."
As low as 16-1 with the sponsors for the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, despite never having jumped a fence in public, Robert Lester's seven-year-old grey has been sidelined since suffering two hairline fractures of a cannonbone on the gallops in August.
He has not been seen since chasing home stablemate Rhinestone Cowboy in the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers' Hurdle at Punchestown in April, but has made steady progress since returning to fitness.
"He's done a lot of swimming and walking and I have been impressed with his schooling in the past couple of weeks," said O'Neill. "He is physically sound. Touch wood, his legs are fine, it is just that he was a bit below par, just not himself, and so we will have to sit and wait until he tells us he is ready."