Blazing Khal will miss the Cheltenham Festival having suffered a fibrillating heart when defending his Boyne Hurdle crown – with a question mark over whether he will race again.

Charles Byrnes’ stable star won the Navan Grade Two following a long absence 12 months ago, teeing up an unsuccessful shot at the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at last year’s Festival.

Off the track for a further 332 days since finishing sixth in that Prestbury Park contest, connections were attempting to see if history could repeat itself when sent off 4-1 at Navan on Sunday.

However, he was one of the first to come under pressure, weakening after three out and eventually being pulled up by Philip Byrnes.

Blazing Khal’s trainer has now confirmed a return to the Cotswolds is off the cards and the eight-year-old will be given an easy time before a further decision is made on his future.

Byrnes said: “We’re going to give him a few weeks off, he had a fibrillating heart afterwards and that was the reason he ran so bad.

“He is not going to Cheltenham and we’re not making any plans going forwards at the moment.

“Whether he’ll race again or not we don’t know, we will just see how he is in a couple of weeks and make a decision then.”

Charles Byrnes’ Blazing Khal is being aimed at a repeat William Hill Boyne Hurdle triumph as he makes another comeback after injury.

The gelding, now an eight-year-old, has always demonstrated plenty of ability but his career has been paused more than once by recurring issues.

An unbeaten novice hurdler who won two Grade Two Cheltenham contests in 2021, the horse then never fulfilled his potential in that sphere after missing the big spring festivals due to injury.

He was off the track for a total of 428 days as a result, but his comeback was a winning one when he landed the Boyne Hurdle at Navan last February in an impressive three-length success.

Blazing Khal then headed to the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival where he finished sixth of 11 runners ahead of another enforced lay-off.

However, Byrnes has been bringing his charge back into work since summer last year and, all being well, intends to stage another comeback next month.

An entry has been made for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival but Navan would have to go particularly well for that to become an option, although Aintree and the Punchestown Festival are both on the radar for later in the season.

“He’s doing OK, we haven’t had a great run with him but he’s doing well at the moment,” said Byrnes.

“We’re hoping to run him back in the Boyne Hurdle, the race he won last year, that’s the plan at the minute.

“We’ve had him in since July, he’s been stop-start but that’s how it is. We’ve no big expectations this time around; if it happens, it happens.

“He’s got an entry in the Stayers’ Hurdle but he’d have to really show himself off in the Boyne Hurdle to consider going – Aintree and Punchestown would be possibilities but with the way he is, we will take it day by day.

“It’s been different niggles with him but we’re staying positive.”