Punchestown in mind for Solwhit

SOLWHIT will not bid for back-to-back wins in the Aintree Hurdle at Liverpool and will instead go to Punchestown if conditions are suitable.

Charles Byrnes’ six-year-old had won three Grade One races before the Festival but his participation was placed in doubt just days before the race when he started coughing.

Byrnes was happy enough to let him run and he was not disgraced in sixth, but his handler believes the quicker ground was more to blame than the setback.