Gold Cup hopes Minella Rocco and Double Shuffle out of the Cheltenham Festival

Minella Rocco, a fine second in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup last year, will not run in the race today and King George VI Chase runner-up Double Shuffle will also be absent.

Trainer Jonjo O'Neill has withdrawn the JP McManus-owned gelding because of the ground, which remained soft, heavy in places after 2mm of rain last night.

The intended mount of Mark Walsh, Minella Rocco, who is entered in next month's Randox Health Grand National, was around a 25-1 chance to claim arguably the most prestigious prize in jump racing.

Double Shuffle, meanwhile, has not eaten up. He had been a general 50-1 poke.

Shantou Flyer, the 100-1 outsider who finished second in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on Tuesday, was also taken out of the Gold Cup this morning for the same reason, while Brahms De Clermont misses the Randox Health County Hurdle having knocked a joint. I Shot The Sheriff was declared a non-runner for that on Wednesday.

Amour De Nuit, also because of the ground, is another non-runner on the card in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle (4.50).

Full list of today's non-runners at Cheltenham

2.10 County Hurdle
24 Brahms De Clermont, 26 I Shot The Sheriff, 27 Krugermac

3.30 Cheltenham Gold Cup
6 Double Shuffle, 10 Minella Rocco, 16 Shantou Flyer

4.50 Martin Pipe
19 Amour de Nuit

5.30 Grand Annual
20 The Game Changer

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