A decision has yet to be made on whether “unknown quantity” Gentlemansgame runs in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.

Grade One-placed over hurdles, the Mouse Morris-trained eight-year-old has only had three chasing start, but has won two of those – including Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase, in which he beat last year’s King George winner, Bravemansgame.

The Robcour-owned gelding was being prepared for Leopardstown over Christmas when he would have met Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs before a setback intervened. However, that clash could still happen pre-Cheltenham at the Dublin Racing Festival.

“If he runs anywhere he’ll go to Leopardstown for the Gold Cup,” said Morris.

“If not he’ll just go straight to Cheltenham. Touch wood at the minute he’s well.

“It was just a stone bruise, but it went right up his foot. He wasn’t out of training for too long which was great.

“He worked at Punchestown the other day and he worked well.

“He’s still still the unknown quantity really, he hasn’t run against Galopin Des Champs yet.”

Mouse Morris has been forced to rule Gentlemansgame out of his Christmas objective in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown due to a minor foot injury.

The grey burst on the three-mile chase scene when beating last year’s King George winner Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Morris had been preparing the lightly-raced seven-year-old for the Leopardstown highlight ever since, but the Robcour-owned gelding will now wait for either the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham or the Dublin Racing Festival.

“He’s just got a small issue with a foot, it’s nothing I’m concerned about but it’s the the timing of it that is a pain,” said Morris.

“It’s not serious, it’s just a total pain, so we’ll look at Cheltenham now or the Dublin Racing Festival, something like that.

“Unfortunately it’s been the case with him he’s had niggly issue that have kept him off the track but at least this is not one of his old problems, it’s just one of them things.”

Morris also had news of French Dynamite, third to Classic Getaway at Thurles last month.

“He came out of Thurles well, but he’s very hard to place now,” said Morris.

“I think I’m considering trying to get him qualified for the National so he needs to be placed over three miles, that might be what we do. We’ll jiggle him around a bit.”

Gentlemansgame will be seen next in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28.

Mouse Morris’ grey caused something of a shock when beating last year’s Gold Cup runner-up Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on what was only his third run over fences.

With Gerri Colombe, who runs in the same Robcour silks, mooted for a possible King George bid over Christmas, it clears the way for Gentlemansgame to stay closer to home.

“He’s very well, he came out of Wetherby with not a bother on him, thankfully,” said Morris.

“It was great to see him do that given how inexperienced he is.

“He’ll be going to Leopardstown at Christmas for the Savills, all being well.”

As well as sending Gentlemansgame to win the Charlie Hall, Morris also won the Cross Country at Cheltenham’s November meeting with Foxy Jacks.

Incredibly, they were the trainer’s first winners in the UK since Rule The World won the Grand National in 2016.

“It’s been a good start to the season, they are running well, long may it continue,” he added.

Gentlemansgame came of age by beating Gold Cup runner-up Bravemansgame in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Having just his third run over fences, the Mouse Morris-trained seven-year-old was nibbled at in the market into 7-2 and he became the first Irish-based winner since Francis Crowley’s Sackville in 2001.

Gentlemansgame won a beginners chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival but was not seen again until being beaten into second by Easy Game at Gowran in September.

Always highly thought of by Morris, who finished second in the corresponding race in 1998 with Boss Doyle behind Strath Royal, he was the trainer’s first winner in the UK since he landed the Grand National with Rule The World in 2016.

Ahoy Senor set out to make all but by halfway his jumping had once again slowed him down and last year’s winner Bravemansgame took it up.

It stayed that way until Darragh O’Keeffe brought the grey up to challenge, but at the second last the favourite had seemingly seen him off.

However, Bravemansgame jumped out of Harry Cobden’s hands at the final fence, landing on top of it and halting his momentum, allowing the Irish raider to gain the upper hand and win by a length and three-quarters.

Morris said: “I’m very happy with that, he jumped super. He was a bit fiddly at one or two, but that was to be expected on his third run over fences.

“He was taking on a seasoned, Gold Cup horse (Bravemansgame). We came here because I was limited as to where I could go. The owners (Robcour) had their other horse going to Down Royal (Gerri Colombe) and it would be stupid to take each other on.

“It’s a long way to the Gold Cup. I suppose Leopardstown at Christmas would be the obvious place to go, but we’ll see how he comes out of it.

“He’ll stay all day and we’re living the dream.”

On his Wetherby win, Morris added: “It’s a nice race and a super track with lovely people, so why not come over?”