Perth provides the big attraction for trainers

The Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer Perth Festival, which takes place at Perth Racecourse from Wednesday to Friday, will welcome runners from all corners of the British Isles.

Top English raiders from Paul Nicholls, champion trainer elect, Phillip Hobbs, Victor Dartnell and Nigel Twiston-Davies among others will be doing their best to go home with the spoils.

The Irish will once again be there in force, whilst the local yard of Lucinda Russell, who has had such a successful season, will be well represented each day.

The Arlary Yard star Brindisi Breeze will not be running, however, he will be parading before racing on Thursday at 1pm, alongside 12 retrained racehorses, to show the wide range of second careers that racehorses now enjoy.

On the final day of the fixture on Friday, Perth Racecourse will welcome a new name to the prestigious list of sponsors when Dundee-based G A Engineering have their name beside the £18,000 Highland National Steeplechase.

Meanwhile, ante-post favourite Quito De La Roque has been ruled out of the tote.com Punchestown Gold Cup tomorrow.

Colm Murphy’s eight-year-old made a fantastic start to the season by winning an attritional JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal in November, but he was well beaten into third when sent off favourite for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

He subsequently missed both the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Cheltenham Gold Cup as Murphy had not been 100 per cent happy with his charge and, as that is the case once more, he will now be given a summer break.

Murphy said: “He scoped badly after the Lexus and then we discovered he had a sinus infection. Unfortunately, he’s had a recurrence of the same thing.

“It’s obviously really disappointing, but it’s nothing that can’t be sorted, it’s just bad timing. I’m not 100 per cent happy with him, so he can’t run. He’ll probably go out for his summer break now.”

• Folkestone have been forced to call off this afternoon’s Flat meeting due to waterlogging.

The current wet spell led to the Kent track calling an inspection at 3.30pm yesterday and officials decided the fixture could take place. Folkestone’s estate manager, Gavin Armstrong, said: “I’m afraid we’re going to have to call it off as it’s waterlogged.

“There are some really bad patches on the straight and it’s not raceable. It’s just far too wet.”