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Rebecca Curtis is waiting on the results of blood tests before committing Irish Cavalier to the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup on Saturday at Cheltenham.

Welsh handler Curtis has been enduring a quiet spell of late, and has yet to saddle a runner in December.

A Cheltenham Festival winner in March, Irish Cavalier looked sure to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month when tanking his way to the front only to be swamped after jumping the last and fading into fifth.

Curtis hopes she has solved the issues at her yard and is just waiting for the all-clear before giving the six-year-old the green light.

"It wasn't a bad batch of hay, as such. The horses were just testing high for protein and I think that was affecting the way they were running," she said.

"It was a nutritional thing more than anything, but we decided to stop to make sure we got things sorted.

"We changed things 10 days or two weeks ago and hopefully we've solved the problem now.

"He (Irish Cavalier) seems in really good form, but we obviously wanted to get his bloods done to make sure everything had been cleared out of his system."

Trainer Noel Meade has not yet decided whether to let Texas Jack travel over from his Irish base.

The nine-year-old finished last of four in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal which was dominated by the brilliant Don Cossack in late October, but is set for a drop in class after being given a chance by the handicapper.

Meade is still weighing up whether to send his charge to Prestbury Park or run him closer to home in the Foxrock Handicap Chase at Navan on Sunday.

Texas Jack's only previous appearance in a handicap from 19 starts over fences was in this summer's Galway Plate.

Meade said: "We're kind of betwixt and between. We haven't really decided whether to send him over (to Cheltenham) or take him to Navan on Sunday.

"We had been planning to take him over, but the race in Navan gives us another option, so we'll see.

"I haven't made my mind up yet and right now I'd say it's 50-50.

"He's come down in the weights so it gives him a chance in handicaps again."

The uncertainty around Irish Cavalier has seen punters look elsewhere, with Betfred reporting money for both Paddy Power runner-up Buywise and Champagne West.

"Punters have been queuing up to take on Irish Cavalier all day," said B etfred's Andrew Griffiths.

"The form of the Curtis yard has encouraged backers to look elsewhere and it is Buywise and Champagne West that have attracted the most significant support."