Trainer Lucinda Russell hopes the discovery and treatment of a painful hoof issue will allow top chaser Ahoy Senor to fire on full cylinders again this season.
The nine-year-old struggled in the early stages of the last campaign, being pulled up in both the Charlie Hall Chase and the Coral Gold Cup.
But he finished on a high, just being beaten by Gordon Elliott-trained Gerri Colombe in the Aintree Bowl at the Grand National meeting, and he ended the season as the top-rated staying chaser trained in Britain.
Having been diagnosed with 'sidebone', Ahoy Senor has been treated and had his training regime changed. He now travels to the main Russell gallop by horsebox rather than joining the rest of the string walking on the road. However, he does walk back to the Russell’s Arlary House stable.
Speaking on our stable tour, which is currently exclusive to Sporting Life Plus, Russell said: "Sidebone is where the cartilage becomes calcified. We just had to address it and medicate it. It would have been a grumbling pain to him. It was actually in both fore-legs but worse in one. That is always why he would favour always going on to the right (when jumping).
"You often see sidebone in heavy horses and because of his confirmation he would be susceptible to it.
We identified it last spring. We have changed his routine a bit. We put him in the lorry to the gallops and let him walk home. That stops a concussion effect."
Looking to the future, Russell added: "It is a matter of managing it - we can’t totally mend it. That’s one of the ways to make sure he is comfortable.
"He is certainly much straighter now. When they have had a long-standing grumble like that some of the action and behaviour becomes learned so he still favours that side but it is more out of habit. At least we know he is not in pain now."
Ahoy Senor, a grade-one winner over hurdles and fences, is due to make his seasonal debut in the Old Roan Chase on October 27 at Aintree, a track where he has produced his best performances.
After that his first major target of the season is the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 23.
Russell added: "He is pretty lightly-raced and we knew last season it was going to have to be an intermediate year so we looked after him.
"In the spring it will hopefully be back for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Bowl Chase which he has finished second in for the last two years."
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