Grimes, ante-post favourite for the Murphy's Draughtflow Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday, will not run in the £40,000added race, his trainer Christy Roche revealed yesterday. The four-year-old, owned by J P McManus, was installed on Monday the 11 to 2 market leader for Sunday's race with the Cork-based Liam Cashman bookmakers on the strength of his victory at Leopardstown at the end of last month.

Those odds were reduced to 4 to 1 after support yesterday, but then Roche revealed that Grimes, who was due to shoulder top-weight of 11st 10lb, would be aimed elsewhere.

Roche, attending the Tattersalls Sales in Fairyhouse, said: "He is not running now because the top weight has come out and I believe it would be asking too much of a four-year-old to carry top-weight of 11st 10lb.

"It is early in the season and early in his career, so I am going to mind him for the time being. I will speak to the owner who is in America, and I am sure he has other races in mind for him."

Jim Old's Chai-Yo, who survived a crashing fall at Sandown last season, is due to make his return in Sunday's race. And Old believes his charge has regained his confidence after three pipeopeners on the Flat, which included a good second to Ghalib at Ascot last month.

In Sandown's Imperial Cup in March, Chai-Yo was about to take the lead when falling heavily at the second last and connections had feared the worst.

"You've seen horses killed in lesser incidents than that," commented Old.

"All being well he will go to Cheltenham on Sunday. We believe he has regained his confidence. Amazingly he has schooled superbly at home, never looking left or right."

With good going expected at Prestbury Park, Chai-Yo, who won three times over timber last season, will have ground conditions to his liking.

"He'll love the ground. He likes good, fast ground - not too wet and not too dry," Old added.

Among Chai-Yo's opponents on Sunday will be Carlito Brigante, who won the Imperial Cup and finished runner-up in the County Hurdle at the Festival on his final two starts last term.

Secret Spring is Cashman's new favourite at 11 to 2 for the race but trainer Peter Hedger insists his five-year-old would not run in the event of heavy rainfall.

"Secret Spring runs at the moment but if there is a lot more rain then he would be doubtful. The firmer the better for him," declared Hedger. "We haven't sorted a jockey out at present."

Secret Spring is another to have been campaigned on the level this year, like Chai-Yo running three times which yielded an excellent sixth in the Cambridgeshire and a game win at Brighton, where according to his trainer "the track didn't suit him".

The five-year-old possesses a good turn of foot and will be ridden on Sunday to make full use of his speed.

"He ran Sanmartino to a length at Kempton on Boxing Day and Mark (Richards) said he came a bit too soon.