Real doubts over Mane

Castle Mane's chances of defending his Christies Foxhunters crown at Cheltenham hang in the balance following a disappointing…

Castle Mane's chances of defending his Christies Foxhunters crown at Cheltenham hang in the balance following a disappointing show at Newbury. He was beaten by 13 lengths by Real Value in the Peter Hamer Memorial Hunters' Chase. Caroline Bailey's eight-year-old was talked of as a Tote Gold Cup contender but when asked about Cheltenham, Bailey replied: "I don't know any more than you at the moment. Ben (Pollock) said he felt totally flat so obviously we will go home and do some tests and see if we can find anything wrong with him."