Paul Nicholls’ Grade One-winning chaser Tataniano will take his chance in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury before he heads to the Cheltenham Festival to take on Master Minded in the Sportingbet Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The two stablemates look set to clash in March after owner Andy Stewart outlined his plans for Tataniano who was beaten on his season reappearance at Cheltenham in November.

"He's doing very well.  He would have run in the Desert Orchid but unfortunately Kempton was off and we didn't want to take Master Minded on going right-handed in the Victor Chandler.

"We will go for the Game Spirit with him at Newbury and then he'll go straight to the Champion Chase."

Tataniano finished last season with a sensational eleven-length success in the Grade One Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree and Stewart continued: "After Ruby got off him when he won at Liverpool he said he'd never been on a novice as exciting as this.

"Then we turned up at Cheltenham and got put back in our box by Gauvain and Forpadydeplasterer when giving them 5lbs on soft ground.

"Whether or not he's good enough to win a Champion Chase I doubt, but he was top novice chaser last year and there's only one route to go.  Cenkos was third in the race twice and I think it's one of the most exciting races in the world."