Royal to bypass festival Blue Royal has been ruled out of next week`s Irish Independent Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but will try to pick up a valuable hurdling prize before the end of the current National Hunt season.Lynn Wilson, the owner of the Nicky Henderson-trained seven year-old, third to Istabraq in the 2000 Champion Hurdle, confirmed that his pride and joy would sidestep the Festival and retain his novice chasing tag for next term.Wilson said: 'I had a long chat with Nicky last night and it was a very close decision. Although Blue Royal has been working well and has taken to jumping fences at home, he has not run for almost two years, when he went to Punchestown.'Wilson added: 'He is not far off being Cheltenham fit but in the cauldron of the Festival you need to be 200 per cent fit. In addition to that, Mick Fitzgerald is keen to ride Fondmort so I wouldn`t have had my number one jockey.'Wilson revealed that Blue Royal will now be targeted at the Group 1 Martell Hurdle overtwo and a half miles at Aintree on Grand National day.He said: 'There are still some valuable hurdle races to aim at and we can chase again next year. The plan would be to run at Liverpool and then look at another contest at Sandown or alternatively the Irish Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.'
