Talking Horses: Willie Mullins happy with Festival team but Saint Roi out

Last year’s County Hurdle winner will miss Cheltenham but his trainer still has a stack of fancied runners in good health

Saint Roi has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival by Willie Mullins, who had hoped last year’s County Hurdle winner would make up into a championship contender this spring.

However, the dominant jumps trainer of recent years was delighted to report no other issues affecting a remarkably strong team of high-profile horses in his County Carlow stable being aimed at next month’s event, for which he has almost half the favourites.