Festival absentee Ashroe Diamond rerouted to Fairyhouse

Ashroe Diamond will head to Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday having been ruled out of the Jack De Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday morning.

Winner of the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree last spring, Ashroe Diamond has taken well to hurdles this term, placing in both the Royal Bond and behind Facile Vega at Christmas, before scooping Grade Three honours in the Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle in January.

That marked her out as Willie Mullins’ number one for the mares-only contest at the Cheltenham Festival and she was seen as one of the biggest dangers to hot favourite Luccia.

However, Mullins was unhappy with her prior to declarations on Tuesday, so she will now miss the Festival and be rerouted to the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final – a race the yard has won five times in the last 10 years, including in 2022 with Brandy Love.

“Willie wasn’t happy with her this morning so we’ve decided to wait for Fairyhouse,” said James Fenton, club manager for owners Blue Blood Racing.

“It’s disappointing, we know, and she was supposed to show well, but that’s horse racing and there’s plenty of ins and outs, so we will take it on the chin and look forward to the racing for the rest of the week now.”