Starluck will miss this year's Cheltenham Festival. (credit: Will Palmer)
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Alan Fleming has ruled Starluck out of the Irish Independent Arkle Chase at this month’s Cheltenham Festival.
The classy hurdle recruit made an exciting start to his chasing career with a facile victory over inferior rivals at Huntingdon last month and it was believed that the star would be in line for a trip to the Festival this month.
However, Fleming believes that it is too early to pitch the horse into Grade One company and he will run in a two mile novice chase at Sandown on Saturday week before he heads to Aintree and Punchestown for their festivals in April.
"The most important thing is to allow him to progress in his own time and give him every opportunity to win a Grade 1," Fleming said.
"We just ran out of time to get him to Cheltenham,but there are still big races to go for. Tony said he needs more experience first. He will come down to school him on Wednesday and then we'll go to Sandown.
"He was third in a Grade 1 at Aintree as a juvenile hurdler and the track will suit him well,” he explained.
