Dysart Enos and Golden Ace set for Cheltenham clash after missing Aintree

The pair were 7-2 and 8-1 for the Grade 1 contest, which would have been their first clash since last season’s Grand National meeting when the Fergal O’Brien-trained Dysart Enos proved nine lengths too good in a Grade 2 bumper. O’Brien endured the agony of missing his intended Cheltenham Festival target in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle due to lameness – a race that Golden Ace then won – and she will not appear at Aintree due to the ground.

Golden Ace was taken out with a bruised foot. However, the high-class mares are set to run in the 2m4½f Listed novices’ hurdle on Cheltenham’s mares-only card on Thursday.

O’Brien said: “I just walked the track and they had a bit of rain last night. There was a bit of drying ground but the rain has probably not made it ideal for her.

We went to bandage her up this morning, and she’s got a bit of heat in her heel and I think she’s probably just knocked it. I couldn’t hand on heart run her without being 100 per cent confident that she was all right.

It’s very, very, very annoying but there we are.” The trainer said that they didn’t want to come to the race without every box ticked, and although she was in good form, they couldn’t risk it.