CHAMPION HURDLE PROSPECT Unaccompanied won’t travel to the Cheltenham Festival, trainer Dermot Weld said yesterday.
The five-year-old mare was priced as short as 16/1 for the Champion Hurdle, but finished a disappointing fourth behind Hurricane Fly in the Irish equivalent last month and connections have now decided to focus on the flat season instead.
Unaccompanied won three races on the flat over the past two seasons, including the listed Alleged Stakes at the Curragh last April where she beat Aidan O’Brien’s St Nicholas Abbey into third.
She is now likely to focus on defending that title, Weld said, although he did not rule out another national hunt race at the Punchestown Festival.
“I told her owners she won’t be going to Cheltenham next month,” Weld said (see RacingPost.com). “She is fine and Davy [Russell] really looked after her when her chance was gone the last day.”
Willie Mullins’ Quel Esprit has been cut from 25/1 to 16/1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup following yesterday’s two-length win in the Hennessy Gold Cup.
Another of Mullins’ charges, Pique Sous, has been installed as 10/1 second-favourite for the Champion Bumper after winning by four lengths at Leopardstown yesterday.
