The nasty cut that could ruin a Cheltenham Festival dream – will this keep Blazing Khal out of the Stayers’ Hurdle?
IS this the cut that could ruin a Cheltenham Festival dream?
This amazing close-up photo shows the nasty wound Stayers’ Hurdle favourite Blazing Khal picked up in his most recent win.
(c)www.healyracing.ieIs this the cut that could end Blazing Khal’s Cheltenham Festival dream?[/caption]
Charles Byrnes’ stable star wiped the floor with rivals when returning from 428 days off to land the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan on February 12.
But this image from February 24, taken when the seven-year-old enjoyed a day on Beale Beach in County Kerry, Ireland, reveals just why the horse could now miss the Festival.
Canny trainer Byrnes says the horse must make it through a do-or-die fitness test on Friday.
Blazing Khal is currently 3-1 fav for the Thursday showpiece, with Teahupoo a close second-fav at 4-1.
The former has been on antibiotics since picking up his lesion – and is in a race against time to be fit.
Byrnes told the Racing Post: “Unfortunately he got a bad cut in his Boyne Hurdle win and he was on antibiotics after.
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“We couldn’t do much with him since and we’re after stepping his work up now in the last week.
“We gave him a small bit of work at the Curragh this morning.
“It’s gone late in the day now so we’ll see how he works on Friday and make a final decision.”
Blazing Khal has already won two Grade 2s at Cheltenham outside the Festival over 2m5f and 3m.
But he is entered in a red-hot renewal this year, which could feature Nicky Henderson’s Marie’s Rock.
She is 9-2, while Hatton’s Grace winner Teahupoo is 4-1 and last year’s defending champion Flooring Porter is 6-1.
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Byrnes declined to be drawn on the chances of his horse making it to the Festival.
But he said he had no choice but to leave the key piece of work until so late.
He said: “I can’t say if it’s 50-50 or not as it will just all depend on how he is later in the week.
“We are hoping his work this morning will bring him on a nice bit and we’ll go back again on Friday.
“I know it’s very late now but we don’t have a choice. He means a lot to us as he’s a family horse and we’ll do our utmost to get him there but we’ll just have to see.
“We’re just very grateful the cut has healed up as we were very worried that the infection got into the joint.”
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