Leading Cheltenham fancy Minella Cocooner to miss festival through injury

Minella Cocooner, a leading fancy for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, is set to miss the race through injury.

Last year's Albert Bartlett runner-up has spent a lot of the winter at the top of the Brown Advisory market, and despite being beaten by stablemate Classic Getaway on his chasing debut at Gowran Park he remained no bigger than 10-1 for the race.

The free-going seven-year-old was a Grade 1 winner at last year's Dublin Racing Festival and chased home stablemate The Nice Guy in the Albert Bartlett and again at the Punchestown festival, but he is unlikely to be seen again this season.

His trainer Willie Mullins said: "Unfortunately Minella Cocooner has had a setback. He's picked up an injury and I'd say we won't be entering him for any race at Cheltenham."

It was a very good weekend for Mullins, who won the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle – the first Grade 1 of the year in Ireland – but it was Champ Kiely rather than better-fancied stablemate Grangeclare West who provided the champion trainer with his eighth win in the race.

'Champ Kiely was very good'

Reflecting on the performance, Mullins said: "Champ Kiely was very good. Danny [Mullins] had huge confidence in him and gave him a great ride.

Champ Kiely: a Grade 1 winner at Naas on SundayCredit: Patrick McCann

"We changed things around a bit from the Royal Bond and made the running with him back up in trip. He seemed to enjoy that and he really ran through the line.

"I was very happy with him and Danny was too. He's a nice horse and one to look forward to for the rest of the season."

Grangeclare West, the 15-8 favourite who could finish only fifth to Champ Kiely, was found to be blowing hard and coughing after the race and Mullins is convinced the seven-year-old is much better than he was able to show at Naas.

The trainer said: "Grangeclare West was disappointing but I'd say that wasn't his true running. There was definitely something amiss. He's better than that."

Envoi Allen (2020) and Bob Olinger (2021) both followed up their victories in the Lawlor's of Naas by winning the Ballymore and Champ Kiely is priced between 5-1 and 7-1 to do likewise. Challow winner Hermes Allen remains the 3-1 favourite for the race with most firms.

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