Pertemps Final favourite Shoot First out of Cheltenham Festival

Pertemps Network Hurdle favourite Shoot First has been scratched from the race at Cheltenham on Thursday after suffering a setback.

The Charles Byrnes-trained seven-year-old had won a qualifier for the three-mile handicap at Cheltenham in October and the trainer subsequently put him away for a tilt at the festival race.

He would have been due to race off a 10lb higher mark on Thursday and has been a general 3-1 favourite, but Weatherbys and the BHA have this morning confirmed that he has been taken out of the race. 

Byrnes said: "It's very disappointing that Shoot First is out of Cheltenham. He gave himself a bang, we're not fully sure yet the extent of it. He only picked it up around lunchtime yesterday." "

The David Pipe-trained and JP McManus-owned Thanksforthehelp has been installed as the new favourite at a best price of 6-1 with Coral, with Maxxum and Perceval Legallois also challenging at the head of the market.

Byrnes still has a leading chance of claiming festival glory with Stayers' Hurdle favourite Blazing Khal, who has recovered from an injury picked up in the Boyne Hurdle when he made a winning return from a lengthy absence.

The trainer, speaking on Racing TV, added: "It's well documented he got a nasty gash after winning at Navan and it took over two weeks of antibiotics to recover. We were very concerned the infection was going to go in the joint but it didn't. That cut isn't going to be an issue and he's made good progress. Naturally he missed a bit of work.

"We're going with hope more so than confidence at this stage."

Pertemps Final (2.10 Thursday, Cheltenham)

Coral: 6 Thanksforthehelp, Maxxum, 13-2 Perceval Legallois, 8 Walking On Air, 9 Salvador Ziggy, 11 The Bossers Oscar, 12 Captain Morgs, Good Time Jonny, 14 An Tailluir, 16 bar

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