Sacre stays in Champion line-up

Sprinter Sacre stood his ground among eight entries remaining in the Boylesports.com Champion Chase at Punchestown on Tuesday but Flemenstar has been ruled out after connections decided to give the eight-year-old a wind operation.

Flemenstar’s trainer Peter Casey said: “He won’t be running in Punchestown.

“When he came home from Liverpool, he was all wrong. He had stuff coming out of his nose, it wasn’t blood but it was a bit like it, and the vet came to see him every day for a week. He’s going to have a little wind operation now.