Paul Nolan’s Cloone River has lost his race to be fit for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

PAUL NOLAN is still hoping Cloone River will make the line-up for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

CLOONE RIVER could still make the field for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham after a scan showed his back injury is not as serious as first feared.

Cloone River could still make the field for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham after a scan showed his back injury is not as serious as first feared.

NOEL MEADE has reported his Tolworth Hurdle absentee Iktitaf fine after an examination on returning to his yard in Navan.

CLOONE RIVER has been ruled out of the Victor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham after suffering a setback.

Cloone River has been ruled out of the Victor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham after suffering a setback.

Paul Nolan has ruled Cloone River out of any possible engagements over Christmas but hopes to see the Queen Mother Champion Chase contender back on the track in the New Year.

Pat Keane’s tips today are:

Cloone River has been the subject of heavy support with Cashmans ahead of a possible defence of his Guinness Galway Hurdle crown.

Cloone River has been the subject of heavy support with Cashmans ahead of a possible defence of his Guinness Galway Hurdle crown.

A decision on Accordion Etoile’s participation in the Guinness Galway Hurdle will be left until the end of the week after the gelding was allotted top weight in the July 28 contest.

GEORGE WASHINGTON, widely touted as one of the better juveniles in Ballydoyle, won the Group Two Anheuser Busch Adventure Parks Railway Stakes at the Curragh yesterday, but was certainly less than impressive.

Smurfit Champion Hurdle hope Accordion Etoile is reported to be in top form as connections put the finishing touches to his Cheltenham Festival preparations.

Leading Arkle Trophy contender Cloone River has been ruled out of the Irish Independent-sponsored showpiece after the recurrence of a minor injury.

PAUL NOLAN will decide next week whether his Arkle Trophy hope Cloone River will make it to the Cheltenham Festival after tweaking a muscle in his back.

Paul Nolan will decide next week whether his Arkle Trophy hope Cloone River will make it to the Cheltenham Festival after tweaking a muscle in his back.

Martin Kelly

Paul Nolan today raised the possibility that his Champion Hurdle hope Accordion Etoile could line-up in the Tote Gold Trophy if the ground is heavy at Leopardstown on Sunday week.

There has been so much hype recently over one particular horse from the Paul Nicholls stable that rival trainers could be forgiven for thinking the Arkle Trophy is a lost cause.

PAUL NOLAN has outlined plans for his two exciting stars Accordion Etoile and Cloone River, who will probably both run once before the Cheltenham Festival.

Rising Irish star Cloone River, ante-post favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival, is to be given a rest before trying to claim top honours at the National Hunt extravaganza.

Exciting Irish jumps recruit Cloone River could head to Cheltenham next month for the Grade Two November Novices’ Chase.

Leading Arkle Trophy hope Cloone River looks set to reappear at Roscommon next Monday following the rescheduling of today’s abandoned meeting.

TESTING conditions and a very competitive looking programme make this afternoon’s second day at Listowel one which punters would do well to swerve as much as possible.

GALWAY Hurdle hero Cloone River made a smashing start over fences when outclassing his rivals in the Meadowlands Hotel Beginners Chase at Tralee yesterday.

TREFFLICH is a hopeful choice to land the featured Carlsberg Ruby Stakes at Tralee this afternoon.

PAUL NOLAN, one of the up-and-coming young trainers in the country, took his second Galway Hurdle at Ballybrit yesterday when Cloone River landed a massive gamble.

7-2 favourite Cloone River has won the Guinness Galway Hurdle after a surge saw him first past the finishing post.

CALLOW LAKE is a hopeful choice to land as wide open a Guinness Galway Hurdle as there has ever been at Ballybrit this afternoon.