Racing: Dunwoody rides Flown

RICHARD DUNWOODY will ride Flown in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on 16 March, rather than either Kribensis or Morley Street, both former champions.

'I ride Flown in accordance with my retainer with Nicky Henderson,' Dunwoody said yesterday. 'He is a good ride in the race. He ran a satisfactory trial but he does have to improve a bit on that.'

Blazing Walker has been taken out of the Gold Cup betting after the discovery that he suffered a leg injury when disappointing in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton on Saturday. 'Initially we thought that perhaps he didn't quite stay but he got struck into and, in the circumstances, it was not a bad run,' Nancy Stephenson, widow of the gelding's former trainer, Arthur, said. 'We just need to give him time.'

The winner of Saturday's big race, Zeta's Lad, will contest the Ritz Club Chase at the Festival before John Upson, his trainer, decides whether to run him in the Grand National at Aintree. Docklands Express, Saturday's runner- up, was cut to 16-1 from 25-1 for the Gold Cup by Coral yesterday.