Ground set to rule D'Estruval out of festival

Nicky Richards has all but ruled out sending his promising Jazz D’Estruval for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next month.

A soft-ground specialist, the eight-year-old has sluiced home on his two chase starts to date, winning impressively at both Ayr and Haydock, claiming the scalps of both Tribal Venture and Trabolgan in the process.