Jessie Dream is in danger of missing the entire season with trainer Gordon Elliott worried time may be against him in his quest to get his charge ready for the Cheltenham Festival.
The nine-year-old returned to work later than planned but Elliott had hoped to get a run into him between the end of January and the beginning of February.
Sunday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown was earmarked as a potential target for the RSA Chase runner-up but he has been ruled out of the Grade One after failing to impress in his latest workout and Elliott has warned that he is running out of time to get him to a racetrack this season.
"Following very disappointing display in his last piece of work before the Hennessy Jessies Dream will not run in Leopardstown on Sunday," Elliott wrote in his Betfair column.
"As I said in Tuesday's piece, he was in great form and schooled really well but today (Wednesday) there was no sparkle so at this stage, with time against us, I'm not sure he will make the track at all this season."