Al Ferof to miss Cheltenham

It has been announced that Al Ferof will not run at the Cheltenham Festival this year as he requires minor surgery.

It appeared as though the 10-year-old could be a leading player in either the Queen Mother Champion Chase or the Ryanair Chase but he will not now be heading to Prestbury Park next month.

The son of Dom Alco needs an operation on a partially entrapped epiglottis and will not recover in time to make it to the prestigious meeting.

Paul Nicholls‘ charge has already won once this season, with victory at Ascot back in November last year, while he was third in Kempton’s King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

And a statement on Betfair suggested that Al Ferof should be fine to make his reappearance on Merseyside in April

The statement read: “Al Ferof has a minor problem which rules him out of his intended target in the Betfair Ascot Chase on Saturday, and also the Cheltenham Festival.

“He has a partially entrapped epiglottis which requires minor corrective surgery.

“So Ascot and Cheltenham are ruled out as he will be recovering, but the aim is to get him ready for Aintree and Punchestown.”