Fingal doubtful for Neptune

Philip Hobbs will know more next week about the prospects of Fingal Bay lining up in the Neptune Investment Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Fingal Bay had been the long-term ante-post favourite for the race but has lost that position in recent days to the Willie Mullins-trained Boston Bob.

The six-year-old is unbeaten in all five of his races to date, including the Challow Hurdle at Newbury last time out, but has met with a setback.

"At this stage we don't know any more as it is a bit of an on-going thing," said Hobbs.

"We'll know more next week."

His jockey Richard Johnson said: "It's not great news that he's not 100%, but at the same time he's a very exciting horse and it would be silly to run him unless he was right."

Hobbs' wife, Sarah, said Fingal Bay is, at this stage, an "unlikely participant" at the Cheltenham Festival.

She told Racing UK: "We've had physio on him - it's a hamstring to the back and we're just trying to treat him.

"These things usually take about ten days to two weeks so it's going to be touch and go for Cheltenham. At this stage he's an unlikely participant really.

"The trouble is his owner Roger Skan is abroad at the moment and we haven't been able to get hold of him or his wife so they don't know yet.

"Roger doesn't like Aintree, he's had a few horses there go wrong so he might go to Punchestown or maybe something here in the future."