Champion trainer Paul Nicholls hit out at the decision to water at Cheltenham with rain on the forecast.
The Ditcheat handler withdrew his leading contender Bravemansgame from his scheduled race due to the ground. Unbeaten in novice chases this season, the seven-year-old was towards the top of the betting for the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.
However, Nicholls scrapped plans to run the classy sort at the last minute, after jockey Harry Cobden told him the ground was "attritional" in his view, after the first race. Nicholls, who also pulled out McFabulous from the Coral Cup, informed ITV Racing that Bravemansgame would be rerouted to next month's Grand National meeting at Aintree.
