'Braidblue' pulled out of Cheltenham Festival

LOCAL horse ‘Braidblue’ is out of tomorrow’s Cheltenham Festival.

Owner Philip McBurney has withdrawn the seven-year-old.

He told the Guardian that ‘on advice’ he had pulled the horse out of the meeting.

‘Braidblue’ was to have raced in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle on Friday (5.30pm).

Philip’s wife Helen posted the following message on Facebook -

‘Unfortunately we have had to withdraw Braidblue from his race tomorrow, with all the rain here lately the ground is just too soft for him and running on soft ground would wreck the horse it could take him weeks to recover, as owners we feel we have to do what’s best for him.’