Chantry House will attempt to get back on track in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday after a disappointing Kempton outing.

The eight-year-old travelled to Kempton for the Boxing Day King George VI Chase in fine form on the back of four successive wins.

That four-race winning streak included the Grade 1 Marsh Novices' Chase at Cheltenham in March and, despite his most recent trip, connections have high hopes for this year's Festival.

Chantry House went off as the 3/1 favourite for Kempton's Boxing Day feature but he struggled from the outset and was eventually pulled up at the 12th fence.

He is being lined up for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March but will need to prove his credentials at Prestbury Park this weekend.

Frank Berry, racing manager to owner to JP McManus, said: "The plan is for him to go there. He was very disappointing on the day in the King George. 

"We couldn't find the reason for it, but Nicky seems to be very happy in the meantime and hopefully he'll have a nice run on Saturday.

"You'd like to think the Gold Cup would be the target, but we have to get Saturday out of the way first and see how he gets on."

Saturday's contest is shaping up to be a highly competitive affair with Lucinda Russell's Ahoy Senor likely to provide a challenge.

Ahoy Senor holds entries to the Gold Cup and the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the March Festival.

The seven-year-old came home second, seven-and-a-half lengths behind Bravemansgame, when last seen in the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton on December 26, having earned a very impressive 31-length victory in his previous outing at Newbury.

The Polly Gundry-trained Santini, who won this race in 2020 when part of Nicky Henderson's yard, is expected to be in the mix among the eight-strong field.

Aye Right, Ex Patriot, Kauto Riko, Simply The Betts and Coole Cody complete the rest of the pack.