Cue Card© Photo Healy Racing
Cue Card will not take on Sprinter Sacre in the Sportingbet Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham on Wednesday week.
The 2010 Champion Bumper winner will instead run in the Ryanair Chase a day later, as long as Sprinter Sacre is able to take his chance in the two-mile showpiece.
Cue Card was beaten seven lengths by Nicky Henderson's ace in the Arkle Trophy last year and connections want to avoid him this time.
They feel Cue Card's best chance of success is in the Ryanair Chase over the longer distance of two miles and five furlongs.
"He will run in the Ryanair, but he will be left in the Champion Chase," said trainer Colin Tizzard.
"If the favourite (Sprinter Sacre) runs in the Champion Chase we will go for the Ryanair.
"It's obvious, isn't it? We would be foolish not to leave him in the Champion Chase in case something happened to the big black horse (Sprinter Sacre)."
