Dual Cheltenham Festival Winner Allaho Out Of This Years Festival With Abdominal Bleed

Leading Grade One chaser Allaho has piked up another injury setback that will see him miss the 2023 Cheltenham festival, with the Cheveley Park Stud owned nine year old set to compete in his third straight Ryanair Chase.

Having been a smart hurdler, finishing third in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle back in 2019, he was sent chasing the next season and took some time to really find his form, but his narrow third in the Grade One RSA Novices' Chase was a big step forward.

It wasn't until last season that he properly matured and was a horse to take notice of, finishing a good fourth in the three mile Savills Chase at Christmas and off the back of that was finally dropped back to his preferred 2m4f.

He went to Thurles in January 2021 where he saw off stablemate Elimay with ease to land the event by an eased down three lengths.

This set him up perfectly for the 2021 Cheltenham festival where he gave the performance of the season to win the Ryaniar Chase by a clear 12 lengths.

Allaho finished off last term at the Punchestown festival when stepping down to, two miles against stablemate Chacun Pour Soi and although running a big race had to settle for second, not having enough speed for the trip.

He returned last term term in the Grade One John Durkan Chase and from the front went on to see off a superb field of runners.

The form of that race has worked out fairly well and Allaho franked that next time out when winning the same race at Thurles he did before heading to the festival.

Looking to dominate from the front in the G1 Ryanair again he was just as impressive with no horses being able to live with him and he went on to take the event by 14 lengths.

Mullins then stepped him back up to three miles and this time being in the form of his life he went on to finish the season by landing the Punchestown Gold Cup by 14 lengths, in arguably one of the performances of the season.

Suffering an injury setback this season that made him touch and go to appear at the Cheltenham festival to try and land a hat-trick of Ryanair Chases, he was said to be coming along well and would have his first run of the season at Prestbury Park.

However, it was revealed on Monday by the Racing Post that he will now miss the Cheltenham Festival due to another issue which has seen him pick up an abdominal bleed.

A statement issued to PA Media read: “Having worked pleasingly this past Saturday, Allaho was found to be uncomfortable after working and was then taken to the Fethard Equine Hospital, where he was found to have suffered some sort of abdominal bleed.

“Although a very rare condition, this was obviously of great concern. However, following treatment his condition appears to have stabilised.

“According to Willie Mullins this morning, Allaho is bright and comfortable with a normal heart rate, so obviously this is most encouraging, but we have to play things day by day.”