Jonjo O’Neill is not ruling out a Cheltenham Festival appearance for Monbeg Genius after a disappointing effort at Kelso on Saturday.

The eight-year-old was among the leading lights in the ante-post market for the Randox Grand National prior to his outing in the Premier Chase, which was a first run since finishing third in the Coral Gold Cup back in December.

Minor setbacks scuppered his intended runs since and there was concern his season could be curtailed after assets linked to owners Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman were made the subject of a restraint order, but the British Horseracing Authority subsequently confirmed Monbeg Genius would not be affected.

Sent off a 5-2 chance at Kelso, Monbeg Genius trailed home in fifth place, beaten 38 lengths by Thunder Rock, and O’Neill could give him a chance to redeem himself in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Tuesday week, a race in which he finished third last year.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “He’s fine but it was disappointing really, we were expecting a better show than that, to be fair.

“He’ll have to come on a lot, but he’s come out of it fine and we might even give him another spin at Cheltenham, we’ll see. It wasn’t the plan but he might come on a bit more.

“The practice might help, he didn’t jump great yesterday, he didn’t do anything that we hoped he would, so let’s see how he is.

“He’s in at Cheltenham, so we’ll have a look and see.”

Monbeg Genius is now a best-priced 33-1 shot for Aintree on April 13.

O’Neill is also keeping his options open with exciting bumper prospect Mister Meggit following his facile success in the Download The Racecourse App Raceday Ready Open NH Flat Race at Doncaster.

Having won by a dozen lengths on his Carlisle debut in November, the six-year-old hacked up by four and three-quarter lengths at 8-15 at Town Moor following a 119-day absence.

Coral cut Mister Meggit from 25-1 to 16-1 for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and O’Neill said: “When I was looking at him in the paddock, I was thinking ‘what are we doing here?’ because he’s a shelly little horse. But he’s obviously got an engine and I was very pleased with that.

“It’s hard to know with a four-runner race, but he did it really sweetly at Carlisle as well. He doesn’t show you up at home or anything like that but when he gets down here, he’s obviously a fair horse.

“We’ll see how he is, there’s Liverpool as well. He’s a very shelly horse, so we’ll just have to see how he comes out of it. He did look good, though.”

Jonjo O’Neill has pencilled in a trip to Kelso for leading Randox Grand National contender Monbeg Genius.

The British Horseracing Authority confirmed on Friday the gelding would be permitted to run as he will not be affected by a restraint order placed on the assets of owners Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman.

Monbeg Genius, who carries the Barrowman Racing silks, was last seen finishing third in the Coral Gold Cup back in December, with a setback scuppering any plans for a run subsequently.

However, O’Neill reports his charge to be nearing a return, with the bet365 Premier Chase at Kelso on March 2 – plus a possible Cheltenham Festival stop – under consideration en route to Aintree in April.

“He was always going to run as far as I was concerned and no one told me or him!” said O’Neill.

“He might go to Kelso for the Listed chase and then hopefully he will go for the National – that’s the plan.

“He might go back to the Ultima, but we will see how we get on at Kelso first. That would probably be a bit too close together, but we will see.

“He seems fine in himself at the minute anyway and we will take each race as it comes.

“We will go to Kelso and then take it from there. He’s in good form, jumps well and is a good stayer.”

Monbeg Genius is as low as 14-1 joint-favourite for the Grand National on April 13.

Leading Randox Grand National contender Monbeg Genius will not be affected by a restraint order placed on the assets of owners Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman, the British Horseracing Authority has confirmed.

Assets linked to the couple have been frozen, as a National Crime Agency investigation into PPE firm Medpro continues.

According to the Financial Times, about £75million of assets, including a townhouse in Belgravia and an estate on the Isle of Man, have either been frozen or restrained following an application by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained Monbeg Genius, officially owned by Barrowman Racing Limited, was third behind Corach Rambler and Fastorslow in the Ultima Handicap at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and was last seen finishing in the same position in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in early December.

He has since missed potential outings in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow and the Classic Chase at Warwick due to a setback.

The BHA said last month it was looking into how a court order would affect the couple’s equine string and they have now been cleared to race.

A statement released by the ruling body on Friday read: “Having been made aware of a restraint order on a number of assets belonging to Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman, the BHA liaised with relevant parties in order to understand the potential implications this had for their involvement in racing.

“Following these discussions, the BHA can confirm that horses in the ownership of Barrowman Racing Ltd are not affected by the restraint order and are therefore permitted to continue to race.”

O’Neill said last month he hoped Monbeg Genius would come right in time for Aintree, but that he would need a run beforehand to make the cut for the race, which this year will have a reduced field of 34 runners.

His ante-post price for the National on April 13 ranges from 14-1 to 20-1.