“WHAT is the best sort of ability? Availability” racing journalist Graham Cunningham observed wryly on Twitter following the news on Monday that Faugheen and Min will miss the Cheltenham Festival.

Those two horses are not the first, and are unlikely to be the last, high-profile runners now unavailable for next month’s extravaganza. Some of the races have a rather threadbare look to them all of a sudden. If you turn up, at least you have a chance.