Jockey James Bowen will miss next week’s Cheltenham Festival after receiving a seven-day ban by the whip review committee.

The ban will run from the first day of the festival on Tuesday up to the following Monday. Bowen would have had many fancied rides at the meeting for Nicky Henderson, but he was judged to have used the whip twice above the permitted level of seven from approaching the home bend when winning a 2m 3f chase at Hereford on Zestful Hope last week.

A jockey has the option of moving the suspension back to 14 days from the date of the race, but Bowen is already suspended on the Sunday and Monday, so isn’t allowed to switch dates.

The Cheltenham ground is currently described as soft heading into next week’s festival, but conditions may quicken with no substantial rain forecasted.

Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill impressed in a pre-Cheltenham Festival gallop at Kempton Park last week.

The 2023 champion winner coasted past a couple of stablemates from the Nicky Henderson yard in the public gallop.

This year’s Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival will be run in the memory of the late Michael O’Sullivan, the Jockey Club announced last week.

O’Sullivan tragically died recently at the age of 24 as a result of head injuries suffered in a fall at Thurles on February 6.

One of O’Sullivan’s finest moments came when winning the 2023 Supreme on Marine Nationale.

Irish trainer Willie Mullins has ruled out a trip to the Cheltenham Festival with 2023 Arkle winner El Fabiolo after a shock defeat on Saturday at Navan.

Running in the Grade 2 Webster Cup Chase, he went off at odds on 4-11, but was never in the picture with 50-1 outsider Senecia always looking likely to get his head in front to win by 1 ¼ lengths.

El Fabiolo still has entries in the Champion Chase and the Ryanair, but he won't take up either engagement.

Mullins said: "He was very free and he will improve for that. He wants nicer ground and we'll look at Aintree for him. He's not going to Cheltenham."

Grey Dawning put a big smile on Dan Skelton’s face by landing a belated first win of the season by taking the Premier Chase at Kelso on Saturday.

The eight-year-old made all to win comfortably from Iroko. The grey who finished second in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, bounced back from being pulled up in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, and will now be aimed at Aintree in April.

A delighted Skelton said: "He's one of our flagship horses. He was a good second at Haydock but second is second and we want a winner. To have gone and done that today and be so impressive was brilliant.

"We wanted to see him back to what we know he can do and that was superb today; he jumped beautifully."

Iroko will also be heading to Aintree, with his target the Randox Grand National.

By Peter Moore