Pandorama’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hopes hang in the balance after Noel Meade’s superstar suffered a setback last week.

The Lexus Chase winner was all set for a tilt at the Irish Hennessy in February but the injury looks set have ruled him out t and the classy hurdler will be in a race against time as he bids to get fit for the Cheltenham Festival’s blue riband.

Owner Robert Bagnall explained: "On Thursday we think he got a bit of a knock in his box and Noel (Meade) brought him out on Friday for a small canter and he came back slightly lame.

"Over the weekend he walked him and he appeared all right but when he brought him out this morning he came back lame.

"We hope he has just bruised his hock. We did an x-ray at first and there appeared to be a little crack in the hock but when we x-rayed the other hock it was identical.

"We're going to rest him for a week which rules out the Irish Hennessy but it's my lifetime ambition to get to Cheltenham and Noel thinks and hopes this is just a temporary setback.

"He hopes he can get him back in training after a week and he thinks the chances are a good 50-50 that we can get him to the Gold Cup."