Joy ruled out of Newcastle

Macs Joy will bypass Saturday’s wbx.com “Fighting Fifth” Hurdle at Newcastle after suffering a late setback.

Jessica Harrington’s seven-year-old was due to make his reappearance in the two-mile feature but like compatriot Harchibald, who was also ruled out through injury this morning, he has picked up a problem.

Harrington confirmed: “He won’t be coming over as he has sprained a muscle in his backside.

“It’s nothing too serious, he was just a bit stiff this afternoon.”

Harrington will now give the Religiously gelding time to recover before plotting his new target.

“We will most likely wait until Christmas with him now as I didn’t put him in the Bula (Boylesports.com International Hurdle) as he was going to run this weekend,” she added.

“It would be pushing to get him back for that so we will go to either Leopardstown or Kempton instead.”

Macs Joy finished second to Brave Inca in last season’s Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham before reversing that form when running out the four-length winner of the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown on his final start.