HUGE favourite Allaho is OUT of the Ryanair with an abdominal bleed – as worried owners Cheveley Park say they are taking his health ‘day by day’.
Willie Mullins’ star intermediate chaser was big favourite to make it three Ryanairs in a row at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
PAAllaho appeared in good form at Mullins’ yard just last week[/caption]
The TimesAllaho’s health will be taken ‘day by day’ after he suffered an abdominal bleed[/caption]
But his price was pushed right the way out to 4.5 and even 5 after being matched as low as 2.1 on the Betfair Exchange – before he was removed entirely.
Bet365 and Sky Bet were among those to have suspended betting as rumours swirled something was up with the nine-year-old gelding.
The big drift came as Mullins hosted a media morning at his Closutton base – and before owners Cheveley Park Stud had confirmed his injury.
Allaho has not run since winning the 3m Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Punchestown last April.
He ran away with the Ryanair last year, smashing runner-up Janidil by 14 lengths.
As a result of Allaho’s injury, Mullins’ other chaser Blue Lord was briefly made favourite with Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies also backed.
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Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin saw some support ahead of his return to Ascot this weekend.
But it marks a real hammer blow for ante-post punters who had packed Allaho into bets for this year.
Mullins confirmed after last year’s victory the horse would be aimed at a third Ryanair.
With no one else seemingly capable of challenging him, Allaho had been backed as one of the ‘bankers’ of the week.
Now those dreams are in tatters – a week after Mullins said the horse was back doing fast work.
Speaking only seven days ago, Cheltenham’s record winning trainer said of Allaho: “I’m very happy with Allaho. He’s doing some fast work.”
But a Cheveley Park Stud statement confirmed the seriousness of his ‘very rare’ ailment.
It 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.”
Ryanair Chase odds via Paddy Power
3 Blue Lord
7-2 Fakir D’Oudairies
4 Shishkin
5 Fury Road
6 Conflated
12 Envoi Allen, Pic D’Orhy
14 French Dynamite
16 Funambule Sivola
20 Ga Law, Hitman
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