CLARKE ISSUES BARTON WARNING Barton is doubtful for the Cheltenham Festival after returning from his last race a sick horse. Owner Stan Clarke admitted today it was only a 'possibility' that the gelding would be in action at the showpiece meeting in either the Bonusprint Stayers` Hurdle or the Smurfit Champion Hurdle. 'I would not recommend anybody backing him ante-post at the moment unless they can back him with a run,' said Clarke. A problem was noticed when Barton returned to Tim Easterby`s stables in North Yorkshire after flopping at Cheltenham last weekend. 'He hasn`t been passing his motions as he should be and it`s very worrying,' said Clarke. 'He was dehydrated when he returned from Cheltenham and it seems as though there might be a blockage. We need to get to the bottom of this very quickly if he`s going to run at the Festival.' Meanwhile Mark Pitman has been forced into a change of plan for his Champion Hurdle contender Hitman after the abandonment of Wetherby today. 'It looked the right race for Hitman at Wetherby and it`s disappointing that the meeting was off,' said Pitman. 'I`m going to run him in a novices` race at Newbury next week now and then he`ll go for the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.'
