No Benie Des Dieux at Cheltenham as Mullins rules star mare out of meeting

Multiple Grade 1 winner Benie Des Dieux will not form part of Willie Mullins' enviable Cheltenham Festival squad next month, the trainer has revealed.

The star mare has not been seen since finishing a narrow second to Honeysuckle in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at the meeting last March, but was a general 5-2 second favourite to regain her Mares' Hurdle crown that she won in 2018.

The ten-year-old has something of a chequered history with the festival, having infamously fallen at the final hurdle in the Mares' Hurdle in 2019 with the race at her mercy under Ruby Walsh.

Mullins said in a statement released on Tuesday evening: "Benie Des Dieux hasn't been pleasing me in our quest to get her to Cheltenham and regrettably we have had to make the decision to withdraw her from the festival.

"I'll try to get her to make Punchestown but we’ll have to see how things go. It’s very disappointing for everyone as we thought she would make it to Cheltenham but unfortunately time just ran out."

Mullins still retains a strong hand in the mares' hurdle with the classy Concertista a general 11-8 favourite to follow up her victory in last season's Mares' Novices' Hurdle.

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