Un De Sceaux’s task in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown got significantly easier with the news that Sprinter Sacre will skip Saturday’s race in favour of the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas.
The former Queen Mother Champion Chase hero recorded a scintillating success in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham earlier this month, but Simonsig and Josses Hill will be Henderson's only entries for the two-mile feature at Sandown.
"We're not going to go to the Tingle Creek with Sprinter Sacre," Henderson told bookmaker Stan James.
"I talked to Caroline Mould (owner) over the weekend. He's in really, really good form but, having got him into good shape and the right place, he just doesn't need another race at the moment and it's as simple as that.
"Simonsig and Josses Hill will be in there and they are both in the Peterborough at Huntingdon as well on Sunday so we'll see what we do.
"With Sprinter, the Desert Orchid at Kempton is the likely place for him and if he needs another run before Cheltenham, fine.
"The Shloer was only three weeks ago and he's come out of it really well. It would be a hard race if Un De Sceaux ran and a hard race in soft ground is not what we want on top of a really good run like that.
"We don't need to run him again. We're not going to learn anything! But he looks fantastic - he looked great coming into the race and he looks fantastic coming out of it."
Un De Sceaux, last season's top novice, heads a list of 10 entries for Saturday’s race.
The seven-year-old, trained by Willie Mullins, has won his last four starts over fences, including the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.
He is early ante-post favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and is 4-7 with the sponsor to make a successful reappearance in the two-mile Grade One at the Esher venue.
Despite his short price, Un De Sceaux is likely to face strong opposition, including Gary Moore's Sire De Grugy, winner of this race two years ago.
Paul Nicholls is double-handed with Arkle fourth Vibrato Valtat, who won the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on his seasonal debut, and Mr Mole.
Henry de Bromhead, successful with Identity Thief in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last weekend, is thinking of another raid with Special Tiara, who beat Sprinter Sacre in the Celebration Chase over this course and distance in April.
Mick Channon's admirable Somersby, runner-up in this race for the last two years, is set to have another go.
Completing the 10 possibles are Colin Tizzard's Third Intention and Savello, from Dan Skelton's stable.
