Trainer Colm Murphy has stated that his Champion Chase winner Big Zeb is not certain to run in the Boylesports.com Champion Steeplechase at the Punchestown Festival.

Murphy is concerned that the gap of little over a month between that Cheltenham victory and next Tuesday's race may not be long enough to allow the horse to recover fully.

Murphy said on Tuesday morning: "He's good but there will be no definite decision made for another while about whether or not he is a certain runner.

"He has come out of Cheltenham really well, but you'd know he was over there. Hopefully we'll get him bouncing again next week."

Big Zeb flopped behind Twist Magic in the Tingle Creek in December, a race that came four weeks after he landed Navan's Fortria Chase on his seasonal debut.

"We don't want to make the same mistake that we did at Sandown," Murphy stressed. "There is no question but that when he is fresh, he travels that much better - and when he travels, he jumps that much better."