CHELTENHAM Gold Cup winner Long Run could line up at Aintree next week – but connections will wait to see what ground conditions are like first.

The totesport Bowl at Aintree on Liverpool Day – next Thursday’s opening day – could see Long Run take on Gold Cup runner-up Denman. Although his owner Robert Waley-Cohen could decide to give the Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old an early summer break at his Upton Viva Stud in Oxfordshire.

Waley-Cohen said: “He’ll either go straight back to our stud or go to Aintree first on the way.

“He’s in good form and I want the ground to be 100% for him if he is going to run at Aintree.

“We don’t want him to have too many races on fast ground. The Gold Cup was an epic race and obviously we got the right result and we are excited about what’s coming along, too.”

Meanwhile stable-mate Voy Por Ustedes is on course to bid for a third success in the John Smith’s Melling Chase on Friday week.

The 10-year-old was fifth to Albertas Run in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham on his first start since join the Henderson stable.

He won the 2m4f feature in 2008 and 2009 and Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Sir Robert Ogden, said: “He’s come out of his race very well and Nicky seems to be pleased with him, and the plan is to go to Aintree. The Melling Chase is the race we’ve been targeting for several weeks.

“We were pleased with his performance at Cheltenham.

“He ran very well for a very long way.”