Leading ante-post fancy Scarlet And Dove ruled out of Mares' Chase at Cheltenham

Scarlet And Dove will not run again this season after a setback meant she did not feature among the entries for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Trained by Joseph O’Brien for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, Scarlet And Dove finished third in the Grade 2 contest last season and had been the 7-1 third favourite to get her head in front this year.

The nine-year-old was a winner at Grade 3 level when last seen on New Year’s Day at Fairyhouse, but O’Brien was unsure on Tuesday whether Scarlet And Dove would run again.

“Unfortunately Scarlet And Dove won’t be running in the mares’ chase, which is a pity,” O’Brien said. “She’s met with a setback and is out for the season.

“Whether she will return or not next season I don’t know yet. I suppose Gigginstown will have to decide whether they want to cover her or not.”

Last year’s first, second and fourth from the mares' contest – Elimay, Pink Legend and Zambella – have been entered, with 11 of the 17 potential runners in next month’s race trained in Ireland.

Willie Mullins has won both editions of the contest since its introduction in 2021 and has leading ante-post contender Allegorie De Vassy engaged this year, while Colm Murphy has also entered another well-fancied runner in Impervious.

Luccia: remains in the Supreme and Mares' Novices' HurdleCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Luccia heads 42 entries for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle as well as being confirmed along with 45 others for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Trained by Nicky Henderson for Paul Sandy, Luccia extended her unbeaten sequence to four when defeating geldings in a Listed novices’ hurdle at Exeter on Sunday.

Luccia is a top-priced 10-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and 7-4 favourite for the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, with the disparity in price an obvious pointer to which race she should contest, according to Henderson.

Of the 42 in the mares’ novices’ hurdle, 24 are from Ireland, including Group 1 winner Princess Zoe, who dead-heated on her debut over hurdles last month. In addition, Isaline De Chandou could represent France having finished third in a Listed novice hurdle at Aintree in December.

The leading contenders for the festival’s novice hurdles and chases stood their ground at Tuesday’s confirmation stage, with 46 horses left in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, 22 in the Sporting Life Arkle Novices’ Chase, 23 for the National Hunt Chase, 68 for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, 24 in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, 27 in the Turners Novices’ Chase, 45 in the JCB Triumph Hurdle and 62 in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

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