LIMESTONE LAD SETBACK FORCES HIM OUT AT WEEKEND

Limestone Lad is coughing and will miss his intended prep race for the Cheltenham Festival at Navan next Sunday.

James Bowe`s prolific winner was due to run in the McCabe Builders Boyne Hurdle but the trainer`s son Michael explained: 'He is coughing. He was due to do a piece of work this morning. I just hacked him up and giving him a canter he just started coughing so we stopped immediately.

'He`s on treatment and as a consequence he won`t be going to Navan on Sunday. The vet says I should have him back in two weeks.'

'I am just hoping Navan is not the only thing I have to sacrifice,' added Bowe. 'It could have happened at a better time but there is a bug going around and I couldn`t escape it forever. I just wish it had happened at a different time.

'He`s eaten his feed but it`s just the cough that`s there and we are treating it.

'He started his treatment today and it`s a seven-day withdrawal period so Navan was out of the equation anyway.

'Hopefully with treatment it will only take a week or two weeks and if that`s the case I should be back on track again.'

The stable`s other Cheltenham hope Solerina has so far escaped the cough.

'She`s fine,' Bowe said, 'but you just don`t like it being in the place.

'I`ve got to keep Limestone Lad isolated away from her but if it`s in the air it`s very contagious that`s the worrying thing about it.'

Limestone Lad was forced to miss last year`s Stayers` Hurdle after injuring himself while turned out in a paddock.