FERNY FESTIVAL BLOW
Arkle favourite is ruled out by ligament injury
FERNY HOLLOW, a bestpriced 6-4 favourite for Cheltenham’s Arkle Challenge Trophy on March 15, will miss the National Hunt Festival – and the rest of the season.
News of another setback for the injury-plagued gelding compounded a day of frustration for Willie Mullins after Klassical Dream met with a shock defeat in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park. Ferny Hollow, kept off course for 380 days by a fractured hip, returned to score twice over fences in December, including a top-level win at Leopardstown.
But the seven-year-old son of Westerner faces another spell on the sidelines after sustaining a ligament injury, Ireland’s champion trainer revealed last night.
“It’s very disappointing,” said Mullins. “It’s a sore suspensory – we don’t think there’s any damage but he’s just feeling it.”
Klassical Dream, as short as 2-1 favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the start of trading yesterday, can now be backed at 6-1 after trailing in fourth behind Royal Kahala on his Festival prep.
“I wanted to get a run into him and he was making a lot of his own running on very testing ground,” said Mullins.
Champ, who faces four rivals in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham tomorrow, is Ladbrokes’ new 11-4 favourite for the March 17 showpiece.
❒ TWO MEN employed as maintenance workers by Newcastle were yesterday given 10-year bans for doping Ladies First at Gosforth Park in September 2018.
The Mick Easterby trainee started the 6-4 favourite for the one-mile fillies’ handicap but trailed in eighth of nine.