Jockey Jason Maguire has lost an appeal against the 14-day ban he picked up at Ludlow last week which rules him out of the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.

Nicky Henderson feels the old Sprinter Sacre is “nearly there” after the former two-mile king delighted the Seven Barrows handler in his work at the weekend.

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Nicky Henderson might have been taking a brief post-Cheltenham holiday but his stable continues to send out the winners regardless, as 1-9 favourite Lyvius obliged at Warwick without breaking sweat.

Champion jockey Tony McCoy and his eternal rival Richard Johnson shared a rare dead-heat in the Cavalry Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Leicester.

NICKY HENDERSON stole the show at Doncaster with a 19-1 treble through Open Hearted, Prince OfPirates and Tour D’Argent.