Leading JP McManus-owned Cheltenham Festival hope Iroko ruled out for the season with foot injury

Iroko, a 10-1 chance for the Turners Novices’ Chase and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, has been ruled out for the season with a foot injury.

The five-year-old provided joint-trainers Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero with their first Cheltenham Festival winner when landing last season’s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle before finishing third in Grade 1 novice hurdle company at Aintree.

Iroko was halved to 10-1 (from 20) for the Turners and Brown Advisory after beating Golden Son by three and a quarter lengths on his chasing debut at Warwick this month but will be on the sidelines for the rest of the campaign.

“He’s just got a foot issue since Warwick so he’s going to be out for the season,” Greenall told the Racing Post on Monday. “We’re hopeful he’ll make a recovery to be back next season.”

The setback for the Greenall and Guerriero yard comes after they enjoyed Grade 2 success with Homme Public at Cheltenham on Friday, which followed Gesskille’s victory in the Grand Sefton at Aintree this month.

Greenall said: “It’s devastating but there are a lot worse things that could happen and he should make a full recovery so we’ve got to be positive.”

Iroko’s owner JP McManus has 7-1 Turners second favourite Inthepocket, who finished second to Facile Vega on his chasing debut at Navan on Saturday.

McManus could be represented by Corbetts Cross in the Brown Advisory, the longer novice event in which Iroko, along with Stay Away Fay and Flooring Porter, had been principal market rivals to 6-1 favourite Gaelic Warrior.

Read more . . .

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