Edmunds to bypass Cheltenham with Miami Magic

Stuart Edmunds will skip Cheltenham with Miami Magic and head to Aintree following his defeat in the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton.

The six-year-old was sent off the favourite for the two-mile contest at the Sunbury circuit but found Tripoli Flyer too good on the day as Fergal O’Brien’s charge galloped home seven and a half lengths clear.

Miami Magic had won two of his three previous outings and placed in Grade One company at Aintree on the other occasion, but Edmunds is happy to bypass the Festival and instead step up in trip back on Merseyside.

He said: “If you go on the form against the horse in third (Celtic Dino who was third in both races), I think we probably ran the same race as we did at Aintree and we got beat by a better horse.

“He seems fine coming out of the race. He’s all good.

“The Supreme was always a bit of a sceptical entry, we’ll go to Aintree now and be stepping up to two and a half.

“You can’t complain about him. You’re slightly disappointed to get beat in a Grade Two, but you know realistically he’s run very well. I think we were just beaten by potentially a very nice horse.”