Thyme Hill to miss Stayers' Hurdle clash with Paisley Park due to 'minor' injury

The Cheltenham Festival was stripped of another its much-anticipated showdowns on Friday, with Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle joint-favourite Thyme Hill ruled out of Thursday's race.

Thyme Hill was due to clash with Paisley Park for a third time this season in the Grade 1, but will not line up, trainer Philip Hobbs revealed on Friday.

He said: "He has pulled a muscle just behind the saddle on the right-hand side and it is minor to the extent that the three-mile race at Aintree is four weeks tomorrow and I very much think we'll get him there.

"Unfortunately it'll stop him running on Thursday. He was our leading hope for the festival, so it's a great shame for us and the owners, but nevertheless the horse is all right and it's certainly not a career-threatening injury."

Stayers' Hurdle card and betting

Owned by the England and Heywood families, Thyme Hill was a progressive novice hurdler last season who ran a belter to finish fourth behind Monkfish in the Albert Bartlett when denied a clear run.

He would have been an exciting prospect for fences this term, but connections opted to stay over hurdles and were rewarded when the seven-year-old beat Paisley Park in Newbury's Long Distance Hurdle in November.

The tables were turned in thrilling fashion at Ascot in the Long Walk Hurdle when Paisley Park rallied late to deny Thyme Hill, but the margin was only a neck and connections had been optimistic of emerging on top once again in the Stayers' Hurdle.

That rematch will have to wait, possibly until Aintree on April 10, with Hobbs planning on aiming his stable star at the Ryanair Stayers' Hurdle, a race the Somerset trainer won with Pleasure Shared in 1996.

In Thyme Hill's absence, Paisley Park heads the market for the Stayers' Hurdle at 15-8, while Sire Du Berlais, the winner of the Pertemps at the last two festivals, is next in at a general 9-2.

Paddy Power are voiding ante-post bets on Thyme Hill, whose injury blow came shortly after Willie Mullins had revealed Sporting Life Arkle second favourite Energumene was lame and would not be taking on Shishkin.

Confirmations for Thursday's card at Cheltenham were made on Friday and Paisley Park heads the Stayers' Hurdle line-up along with last year's winner Lisnagar Oscar, while Min and Saint Calvados, first and second in the Ryanair Chase 12 months ago, are back for more.

The star turn that day could come in the Marsh Novices' Chase, which features the unbeaten Envoi Allen, a winner at the last two Cheltenham Festivals.

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