Ferny Hollow, a leading candidate for the Ryanair Chase, will miss another Cheltenham Festival after being ruled out for the season.
The news comes as another blow to owners Cheveley Park Stud, who are also having to be patient with dual Ryanair Chase winner Allaho, and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard who was pulled up in the Betfair Chase.
The Willie Mullins-trained Ferny Hollow, who turns eight on New Year’s Day, won the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in 2020 but has only run three times since. After beating Bob Olinger on his only start over hurdles the following season he suffered a setback that ended that campaign.
He returned after 380 days off to win on his chasing debut at Punchestown and three weeks later landed a Grade One at Leopardstown, only for another injury to scupper the rest of last season.
He was due to reappear in the Fortria Chase last month but was taken out on account of the ground and is now set for another prolonged spell on the sidelines, according to Richard Thompson whose family own Cheveley Park Stud.
“It’s a hind tendon,” he told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. “Willie was obviously starting to work him a bit harder if he was to run over the Christmas period and he obviously couldn’t take it.
“He won us a Grade One last season, so he’d be off since then and before that he’d missed a long time. He’s won two Grade Ones, won the Champion Bumper in 2020 but he’s obviously a delicate horse.
“It’s a real shame obviously. We were really looking forward to him coming out, but we always felt with Ferny he was delicate and therefore it wasn’t a home run to get him back on the course.”
Ferny Hollow was a 10-1 chance for the Ryanair Chase in betting headed by Alllaho who was ruled out of the first half of the season by Mullins.
Thompson said: “The last time I spoke to Willie, I think we’re still hopeful of him coming back for a run before Cheltenham and then Cheltenham itself,” said. Thompson.
"He had six weeks off and that is coming to a close soon, but with all these things you’ve got to be realistic and it is probably 50-50. I’d love to see him have another tilt at the Ryanair and try to win it for a third time.”
