Robert Waley-Cohen has dismissed any talk of retirement for Long Run despite the former Gold Cup winner meeting with an injury setback that is likely to rule him out of running in the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The 11-year-old has been suffering from a foot problem which means he is unlikely to have enough time to qualify for the three-and-a-quarter-mile amateur contest on March 18, but Waley-Cohen has not given up hope on racing him this season.

The dual King George winner, who is now trained as well as owned by Waley-Cohen, has not been seen out since finishing ninth in a Grade One chase at Auteuil in May 2014 on his final start for Nicky Henderson.

Waley Cohen said: "Long Run has had a minor setback and in order to qualify for the Foxhunter you have to finish first or second in two races before March, which he is not going to achieve.

"It's a minor problem with one of his feet, but if you can't work them, you certainly can't get them ready for racing.

"The Cheltenham Foxhunter is the championship hunter chase and I would love to be in it, but he has been wonderful to us and we've just got to be a bit patient with him. He will be back.

"It's been a long road back and we were nearly got there, but there are plenty of other races for him.

"We will start him off in a hunter chase and see how he goes. He might get an entry in the Grand National while there is the Irish Champion Hunter Chase at Punchestown which is also a possibility."