Trainer Graeme McPherson identified the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival as a suitable long-term ambition for Ami Desbois.
The seven-year-old made an encouraging chasing debut over an inadequate trip at Wetherby on Saturday when he accounted for Mortens Leam by three-quarters of a length.
McPherson said: "It was the right place to start off with him - a good, galloping track and nice fences - and the fact he got his head in front was the icing on the cake.
"He'll now be going up trip and he'll end up three-mile chasing, without a doubt."
Ami Desbois is not short of potential targets this winter and could be thrust straight into Graded company at Newbury's two-day Hennessy meeting in December.
The Gloucestershire handler said: "A lot depends on how he comes out of it, but we might go there (Newbury), where he has two options.
"If it came up soft, we wouldn't have any fears of running him against good horses over two and a half miles. But if it wasn't quite as soft, he can also go three miles.
"The other alternative is to find a midweek novice race before we up our sights over Christmas in something like the Kauto Star at Kempton or the two-mile-five novice (Dipper) at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.
"Long term, his target would definitely be the RSA, but he will need to be at least as good as his hurdles form to go there.
"I just think he's got 'National' written all over him. It will probably be too soon for him this year, but that would be a serious target in 2019."
Sky Bet make Ami Desbois a 33/1 chance for this season's RSA Chase at Cheltenham.
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