United Festival Hopes Still In The Balance

Grade One winner United is still far from certain to appear at the Cheltenham Festival.

The five-year-old mare, unbeaten in three starts in Britain, had been mooted as a Champion Hurdle hope.

But she has met with a number of niggling setbacks and trainer Lucy Wadham has virtually ruled her out of the blue riband, with hopes now looking to rest on an appearance in the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle.

'She is cantering and we have made an entry in the County Hurdle but we will have to see. She will run when she's ready,' said Wadham.

'I think it's very unlikely she'll go in the Champion Hurdle. I think we'll take her out of that next week.

'We'll keep our options open. There's Ayr and there's Aintree. We'll just wait until she's ready.'

(C) PA Sport