FOX Norton will be entered in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, with connections keen to put a line through his disappointing run in the King George.

The Colin Tizzard-trained gelding was pulled up in the Boxing Day feature at Kempton, on what was his first try at three miles.

His efforts last season included finishing second in the Queen Mother, before winning at Grade One events at Aintree and Punchestown.

Assistant trainer Joe Tizzard said: “He just came back a bit stiff. He will have a little bit of treatment on his back and will be back for Cheltenham. He had it during last season and he is having it again this season.

“He will be entered in the Champion Chase and Ryanair. The Champion Chase looks quite enticing as nobody has seen Altior yet and Douvan has gone. He will get a fast-run two miles, which will play into his hands.

“It wasn’t his running in the King George, but we were dying to step him up three miles. He never travelled at all. We can put that behind us for the rest of this season, anyway.”

Tizzard also had news of Pingshou, who like Fox Norton runs in the colours of the late Alan and Ann Potts.

Like Fox Norton, he was a Grade One winner at Aintree, but has not been seen since finishing third at the Punchestown Festival.

Tizzard said “He is back in cantering. We were talking the Champion Hurdle with him, but we have just had little niggles through the autumn. He will be ready to run again in the spring. We might have to go straight to Cheltenham, then to Aintree.

“He is back on the go and we will be able to get a couple of runs into him in the back-end of the season.”