Ben Pauling’s mare was a notable absence from the nine entries - which includes Kitzbuhel - for Saturday’s Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase. at Sandown.
The impressive Warwick winner Diva Luna had been expected to line up in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade 1, but Ben Pauling revealed to host Nick Luck on his Nick Luck Daily Podcast that the seven-year-old had knocked a joint and would instead ‘have a week in the spa bath’.
She could now head straight to the Cheltenham Festival, although connections also have the option of the two-and-a-half-mile Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree the following month.
Saturday's race is now on the radar of Luna Diva’s stablemate Mambonumberfive, who had originally been aimed at the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick ahead of a tilt at the Singer Capital Markets Arkle in March.
His rivals could include the Willie Mullins-trained Kitzbuhel, who won the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton over Christmas, and stablemate Jimmy Du Seuil who beat The Big Westerner at Fairyhouse prior to disappointing at Limerick last month.
A strong Irish entry is completed by the Gordon Elliott-trained Kala Conti who could bid for a hat-trick following a pair of Cork wins. Elliott was the most recent Irish trainer to take home a prize that has traditionally been dominated by British trainers, winning it with Gerri Colombe in 2023; Mullins only has one win in it to his name, with Gitane Du Berlais taking the 2015 renewal.
However, it should be noted that all three Irish-trained runners also have alternative entries at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend.
Doyen Quest, who has twice chased home Salver since winning at Exeter in November, joins Stuart Edmunds’ impressive Cheltenham winner Miami Magic amongst the home team, which also includes the hat-trick-seeking pair of Sixmilebridge (Fergal O’Brien) and Steel Ally (Sam Thomas).
The nine entries are completed by the Jamie Snowden-trained Wendigo, an impressive winner at Newbury in November who was far from disgraced when a running-on third behind Kitzbuhel at Kempton last time out.
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