Nickname withdrawn from Queen Mother

Martin Brassil will declare Nickname a non-runner for this afternoon’s Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Brassil is set to take out his mud-loving eight-year-old due to the drying conditions at Prestbury Park, where the going is currently good to soft, good in places.

“I’m worried about the ground being too good for him,” the County Kildare handler told Channel 4 Sport.

“He’s a horse that handles soft and heavy ground so we are not prepared to risk him.”