The six-year-old looks like going right to the top over the larger obstacles judged by his first two successes at Cheltenham, where he again won as he liked last Saturday.
Trainer Paul Webber is considering stepping his charge out of novice company for the Argento Chase back at Prestbury Park on January 29 and if he were to find the target there, the Gold Cup could then be considered.
"He got a tiny little over-reach, but other than that he seems absolutely fine. There's nothing that's worrying either him or us," said Webber.
"He's had two wonderfully smooth passages around Cheltenham, I'm sure he won't get another one but it couldn't have gone any better so far.
"There are no novice races at the next two Cheltenham meetings that would suit him and there are not many novice races that would particularly suit him elsewhere, so the Argento Chase has to be an option.
"The timing of the Argento Chase would be good, but if that wasn't on for some reason, there is the Towton Novices' Chase at Wetherby the following week. There is a chance he could go straight to the Festival in March, as we don't want to run him for the sake of running him if the timing is not right."
Asked if Time For Rupert would be considered for the Gold Cup if he did did win the Argento Chase, Webber replied: "I just don't know is the answer to that. I would imagine he'll have an entry in the Gold Cup, as who knows what might happen.
"We may have a cloud of locusts or a typhoon on one day that might not happen on another day. So he'll have an entry, but I'm pretty sure we'll work towards the RSA Chase to start with."
Time For Rupert is currently best-price 4/1 (Totesport) favourite for the RSA Chase if he does stick against the novices, while he is available at best-price 25/1 (Bet365) for the Gold Cup.
In other Festival ante-post news, Tom George reported Tartak could line up for the Ryanair Chase after the horse won the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Newbury on Wednesday.
Bookmaker William Hill quoted odds of 20/1 for the Cheltenham race after jockey Paddy Brennan rallied Tartak to beat Paul Nicholl’s Breedsbreeze by half a length in the 2m 4f feature race.
The race was marred by the tragic death of Twist Magic, whose fatal fall when leading at the second last left his stablemate Breedsbreeze in front. Tartak had looked outpaced from three out, but stayed on to lead near the finish at odds of 11/4.
Tartak was winning on his second appearance of the season having finished 29 lengths third to Monet’s Garden over 2m 4f at Aintree on his seasonal debut at Aintree in October.
George believes his seven-year-old will stay 3 miles and has his eye on the three mile contest at Aintree in April with a tilt at the 2m 5f Ryanair Chase on day three of the Cheltenham Festival also on the cards.
George said after the race: “This horse deserved a big one. He has been a bit ring-rusty at this time of year before but is sharper now. I think he'll get three miles at Aintree and the meeting in April will be his big target, but we will think about the Ryanair at Cheltenham."
Time For Rupert finishing second to Big Buck's in the 2010 World Hurdle, but clear of the rest of the field
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