Solwhit ruled out of World Hurdle

Solwhit will not run in next Thursday’s World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The six-time Grade One winner, who had been as short as 10/1 for the stayers' hurdle championship, will miss the race and the remainder of the season ahead of an anticipated step up to chasing in the autumn.

Charles Byrnes's seven-year-old, runner-up to Hurricane Fly in his last three starts, all Grade Ones, was due to step up to three miles for the first time in the feature race on day three of the Festival meeting.

"He just wasn't firing on all cylinders so there is no point in going," Byrnes said. "It's disappointing, but it was something of an after thought anyway. We gave him two pieces of work and they weren't satisfactory. It would have been interesting to see how he got on over the trip. It's doubtful he'll run again this season and I think we'll go chasing with him next season."

In other World Hurdle news, connections of Zaynar have decided to aim the six-year-old at the 3 mile race rather than the Stan James Champion Hurdle over a mile shorter.

Part-owner Victor Chandler revealed discussions about which festival race the grey will go for had reached a conclusion today.

Charlie McCann, the bookmaker's spokesman, said: "I spoke to Victor earlier this afternoon and he said, after much discussion, it has been agreed to go for the World Hurdle rather than the Champion.

"Although his stamina must be taken on trust, Victor suggested that both Barry [Geraghty] and Nicky [Henderson] were optimistic that he would get the three miles and as he goes very well fresh, they were looking for a very good run.

"He had a wind operation eight weeks ago."

The market for the World Hurdle (see below) suggests that it's a two-horse race, with Grands Crus set to test Festival hotpot Big Buck's.

However, Grands Crus' trainer, David Pipe, has dismissed the perception that the Grade 1 stayers' hurdle feature was a straight match between the two big guns.

Look what happened in the Gold Cup last year when it was meant to be Kauto Star versus Denman," said Pipe. "It's not a two-horse race with Mourad and Fiveforthree in there."

Pipe admitted to rising excitement after what he described as "a pretty staggering performance" at Cheltenham last time.

He added: "He put the race to bed in a matter of strides and everyone got very excited after that. He has had a good preparation after a break and everything is going well for next Thursday.

"Big Buck's is still the one to beat and we have got to improve again but Grands Crus is young and only had eight races in his life - I think there is a fair bit of improvement in him."

Meanwhile, Nicky Henderson, the favourite with several bookmakers to be the top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival, could saddle the first four horses in the betting for the Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle at Sandown on Saturday. Victory in the race would set up a chance to chase a £75,000 bonus offered by Saturday's sponsor, Paddy Power, for any horse that can double up in the Imperial Cup and a race at the Festival.

Aegean Dawn, unbeaten in four starts over hurdles, is the general favourite at around 5/1 for Saturday's handicap, for which there are 40 entries. Henderson, who won the race in 2009 with Dave's Dream, is also represented by Eradicate, Giorgio Quercus and Owen Glendower.

Aegean Dawn holds entries in both the Coral Cup and the County Hurdle at next week's Festival, though as yet the only trainers to land the long-running bonus are Martin Pipe – in 1993 and 1998 – and his son, David, in 2007. Pipe has two entries in the Imperial Cup, Arrayan – the second-favourite with some bookies at around 12/1 – and Ronaldo Des Mottes.

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