Harrington joy at Macs' recovery

Macs Joy has recovered from the setback which kept him out of the Cheltenham Festival – but will still not run at Aintree.

Jessica Harrington was forced to withdraw her crack eight-year-old from this season’s Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after pulling a muscle.

He has now been given a clean bill of health, however, but will bid for a repeat win in Punchestown’s Champion Hurdle on April 27 rather than head to Liverpool.

“He’s in very good form and I was toying with the idea of running him at Aintree,” Harrington told the Racing Post.

“But it would only be 13 days between both races and it’s too close together so we’ll concentrate on Punchestown.”