Noel Meade has reported that Harchibald will not be travelling over to Kempton to contest the Christmas Hurdle. The mercurial seven-year-old suffered a slight setback when being prepared for the "Fighting Fifth" Hurdle at Newcastle last month.

In ruling out Harchibald from a clash with Straw Bear at Kempton, Meade revealed he could be represented by Jazz Messenger, a winner at Thurles yesterday.

"I didn't see Jazz Messenger's race but I was told he jumped very well, and he could go for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton," said Meade. "That would be instead of Harchibald. He is in great order and is in full work and is 100 per cent sound, but he won't be ready in time for that race.

"I'd have to do too much with him between now and then to get him ready for the race, and with the type of muscle injury he has had that would do him more harm than good. If we ran him a week too soon it could put him back another month. He'll now be aimed at something in January, but I'm not sure what yet.

"In one respect it has done him no harm to miss this part of the season, as the way the ground has been he wouldn't have run anyway."

Last season's Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Newmill is likely to be seen in action in the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Trainer John Murphy is favouring a tilt at that Grade One event, run on December 29th, rather than the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase two days earlier on account of the likely soft going. Newmill trailed home last of four behind Iktitaf on his seasonal reappearance, having failed to act in the conditions.

"It looks like he'll run in the (December Festival) Hurdle, but he wouldn't run if the ground was heavy or anything near it," Murphy said. "Everything's gone well and he's in great shape, but he just hates that ground, and as it looks like it's definitely going to be soft, I think it'll be the Hurdle.

"There's no chance of it being good ground now and obviously he's a nice-ground horse. He won't run on heavy again."

With regard to the rest of the campaign, Murphy stressed that all plans hinge on underfoot conditions. He also underlined that he is relatively flexible and would be content to return to Cheltenham for another crack at the Queen Mother without a prep run.

"The whole thing is down to the weather really. He goes on soft no problem, but if it's anything worse than soft then he'll stay hurdling for the time being. The Queen Mother is the aim in March and if I was short of a run in February I might bring him over to England."

Central House will bid for his third Grade One success when he tackles the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase. Dessie Hughes has also underlined the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on January 20th as a potential run.