Blazing Khal set for the Stayers' and other possible runners on day three of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival

Charles Byrnes has confirmed Blazing Khal is an intended runner in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday (3.30).

Byrnes had indicated the market leader would have a crucial final gallop on Friday morning but decided against taking the horse to the Curragh.

"Firstly, we didn't take him to the Curragh this morning afterwards," said Byrnes. "I just felt it was too close to Cheltenham.

"Secondly, I had a good chat with his part-owner, my brother-in-law Flor McCarthy, this morning and we decided we are going to let him take his chance over there.

"As Flor said, he didn't buy into him to see him going around the Curragh a couple of days before Cheltenham, which was probably what I wanted to hear too. I wasn't too happy with his work at the Curragh on Monday and it was probably a knee-jerk reaction to say that I would take him away again. He had a good deep blow on Monday so he needed it big time."

Byrnes added: "The more I thought about it the more I thought it would be counterproductive. If I took him back to the Curragh today it would only be to find out for myself, but it would probably flatten him. He has been on two courses of antibiotics so you don't know if they'll leave a mark or not.

"We felt if we did take him away to gallop it would all have been too much. Things have gone okay in the meantime even though we are a bit short of time, but it is what it is. We'll let him take his chance and hope for the best."

As expected. Gold Tweet has been supplemented for the Ryanair Stayers' HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

15 horses were confirmed for the Grade 1 feature on day three of the festival with, as expected, the French-trained duo Gold Tweet and Henri Le Farceur both supplemented.

Shishkin heads 12 runners confirmed at the six-day stage for Thursday's feature chase at the festival, the Ryanair Chase.

While Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown have underlined that Conflated remains on course for Friday's Boodles Gold Cup, he has been left in the Ryanair, while Blue Lord has also been kept in both this race and Wednesday's Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The day's opening Grade 1, the Turners Novices' Chase, is set to feature a high-quality line-up which will also be numerically superior to the disappointing four runners who were declared for the race 12 months ago, with 14 standing their ground.

Willie Mullins has narrowed his choices, with the Arkle-bound El Fabiolo and Dysart Dynamo both taken out, although Sir Gerhard, who also holds an entry in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, remains a possibility for the Turners.

Haut En Couleurs heads the weights for the Plate Handicap Chase later in the afternoon, while favourite So Scottish also remains on course for Emmet Mullins and JP McManus.

So Scottish is favourite for the Ryanair Plate and will carry 1lb more than his revised handicap markCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

So Scottish is 20th on the list and thus guaranteed a run off a British mark of 143, despite the fact that Mullins has successfully appealed to the handicapping ombudsman to have a pound taken off his BHA chase rating.

He initially had his BHA rating of 140 revised upwards by 3lb when the weights were published on March 1, meaning that any appeal would have no bearing on his mark for the Plate.

Mullins told the Racing Post he was pleased with how the process worked but hoped in pursuing the case with the BHA, improvements to the system could be worked on for the future.

"The process worked very well and it was all done in good spirits," said Mullins. "The fact that it’s been a successful appeal and it’s still irrelevant to his weight next week just shows up what is probably a bit of a fault in the system. You don’t get to see an Irish horse’s mark until the weights are published and then it’s too late to do anything about it.

"Hopefully it will just highlight an issue going forward and it’s something that can be resolved. I’m not sure how that’s done and it is a very tricky situation. But to highlight that I think was important."

The ombudsman has suggested changes to the way the BHA handicapping team communicate with foreign-trained entries ahead of weights publications and a BHA spokesperson said the matter would be considered in conjunction with the Industry Racing Group.

Princess Zoe remains in contention for the Jack de Bromhead Mares' Novices' Hurdle, where she will bid to complete the remarkable double of Cheltenham Festival winner and Group 1 winner on the Flat.

Among her key opponents will be Luccia for Nicky Henderson and Ashroe Diamond, one of five mares remaining for Willie Mullins, who has trained the winner in five of the seven runnings of the race.

The day rounds off with the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase for amateur riders, where leading Randox Grand National Hope Mr Incredible shares top weight of 12 stone with Next Destination.

Cheltenham Thursday: day three racecards

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