WILLIE MULLINS has been forced to pull one of his huge Cheltenham Festival fancies – after being backed in from 100-1.
Big Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Turners Novices’ Hurdle chance Kawaboomga is gone for the season, owner JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry has confirmed.
The TimesWillie Mullins has seen yet another of his big guns ruled out of Cheltenham[/caption]
Willie’s brother Tony put up Kawaboomga as one of his horses to follow earlier this season.
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The shrewd handler picked him out at 100-1 for the Turners – and he had been backed all the way into as short as 11-2 third-favourite for the 2m5 contest.
But punters experienced more ante-post heartbreak on Sunday night after news of his injury was made official.
His price rocketed on the Betfair Exchange before Berry said: “Kawaboomga has unfortunately had a setback and will miss the remainder of the season.”
Five-year-old gelding Kawaboomga last raced a month ago, beating subsequent winner William Munny by a length-and-a-half in a Fairyhouse maiden.
And before that he was beaten just under three lengths by huge Supreme favourite Kopek Des Bordes in a 2m Leopardstown maiden on Boxing Day.
The form of that race has been boosted massively after Kopek Des Bordes destroyed rivals in winning the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle by 13 lengths at the Dublin Racing Festival.
With Kawaboomga gone, Mullins’ other hotpot Final Demand has hardened at the head of the market to 6-4 fav, with Dan Skelton’s McManus-owned The New Lion 5-2 second-fav.
A switch to novice chasing could be on the cards for Kawaboomga next season, providing all is well with his recovery from injury.
Mullins said he appears a horse who will ‘stay much further’ – so he could be one for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
This is the second big Mullins horse to be pulled from the Festival this month after huge County Hurdle fancy Storm Heart wasn’t entered.
While former Champion Hurdle contender Anzadam is another big name missing out with a season-ending injury.
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