Former Cheltenham winner Mall Dini could swerve this year's Festival head straight for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree.
The Pat Kelly-trained nine-year-old has been allotted 10st 4lb for the April 6 showpiece, and is no stranger to success in Britain having landed the Pertemps Final in 2016.
Last season he was the half-length runner-up in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the same meeting.
Mall Dini has made two appearances so far this season, finishing a staying-on sixth in the Goffs Thyestes Chase over three miles and a furlong at Gowran Park last month.
Owner Philip Reynolds, who is currently counting down the days to Presenting Percy's date in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup, said: "We are thinking about what we should do with Mall Dini.
"The Randox Health Grand National has come under consideration and is something we are thinking about now the weights have been released.
"He seems to have a very nice weight for the race. He needs four horses to come out and would run off 10st 4lb. We are tempted to sit the Cheltenham Festival out and go straight to the Grand National.
"Missing Cheltenham is something we are thinking about, but alternatively, he could take in both a handicap at Cheltenham and then the Grand National.
"We need to have more discussions, but the Grand National is definitely of interest."
He added: "Mall Dini was a horse me and Pat bought for old time's sake. He rang me two years after a meeting at a racecourse to tell me he had sourced Mall Dini.
"He is named after probably the most famous AC Milan footballer of all time (Paolo Maldini)."
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Former Irish Gold Cup hero Edwulf is a possibility to represent Joseph O'Brien in the big race.
O'Brien has carried all before him so far in his short career to date, winning Australia's greatest race, the Melbourne Cup, with Rekindling in 2017 and the 2018 Irish Derby with Latrobe.
His biggest jumps success to date was provided by Edwulf at Leopardstown last year.
Given 11st 1lb in the initial weights, the JP McManus-owned 10-year-old was eighth in the Savills Chase at Christmas and most recently third in the Red Mills Chase over two and a half miles at Gowran.
O'Brien said: "The Randox Health Grand National could be a possibility for Edwulf.
"We have been slightly disappointed with him this term. He ran OK at Gowran Park last weekend when he jumped well, but just got tired in the closing stages.
"He is not entered in any races at the Cheltenham Festival, so I'm not too sure where he goes next, but we will keep our options open.
"The English National will come into consideration. He has a nice weight for the race and we will discuss it. The Irish National could also be something we consider."
O'Brien's father, Aidan, had one runner in the National when he was primarily a jumps handler in the 1990s, saddling Life Of A Lord to come home seventh to Rough Quest in 1996.
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