Hors La Loi III will take on Istabraq in Tuesday's Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Connections yesterday opted for the Champion rather than the Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle after the gelding had galloped 10 furlongs under Dean Gallagher at Chantilly.
Owner Paul Green said: "In a perfect world we'd be a lot happier if the horse had been able to have another three weeks work.
"I'm not saying he is coming here short but with all his problems he didn't start work again until the early part of this year.
"Dean rode him this morning, he was thrilled with him and the horse went very, very well but if there is any weakness there at all it's better to find out over two miles than three."
Francois Doumen's charge landed the Axminster 100 Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton last time from the Martin Pipe-trained Auetaler.
"The horse showed quite a lot of pace at Wincanton but you can read that race in two ways," Green remarked. "If you want to be critical you could say that Krabloonik was only 10 lengths behind us.
"But if you want to be positive you could say he was only a length behind us with three furlongs to go and Pipe's horse has been running quite well this year."
Green recognises that Istabraq will be hard to beat on Tuesday but hopes for a bold showing from the five-year-old, who won the Citroen Supreme Novices' Hurdle by 17 lengths for Martin Pipe at last season's Festival.
He added: "We couldn't really be more pleased with where we are and we'll just have to wait and see now.
"We've all got Istabraq to beat but I'd have thought we've got a good chance of getting pretty close to the frame."
Ayr's meeting tomorrow has been abandoned following an inspection yesterday. And Saturday's meeting is subject to a 7.30 a.m. inspection tomorrow due to waterlogging at the Scottish track.
