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DEFENDING RYANAIR CHASE champion Cue Card has become the latest star name to miss out on this season’s Cheltenham festival, with trainer Colin Tizzard confirming that his stable star has suffered a muscle injury and will not make it to Prestbury Park.
Just three days after the brilliant Sprinter Sacre was a confirmed non runner, the festival and all racing fans have been dealt another blow, with the news that the eight-year-old, a winner of the Champion Bumper in 2010, 2nd to Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle in 2012 and a nine-length winner of last season’s Ryanair will miss out.
Connections had been hoping to step their charge up in trip this year and take a shot at the Gold Cup, having shown his ability to handle over three miles with a devastating victory in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November. He would follow that up with a fine second to leading Gold Cup hope Silviniaco Conti in the King George and Tizzard and co are desperately disappointed that they will miss out on an attempt at National Hunt racing’s Blue Ribband.
“He has not been quite right behind for a week and we have done everything we possibly can to try to rectify the problem, but the decision has been made with the owners this morning not to run at Cheltenham”, Tizzard told the Racing Post.
“After a routine canter we had to make the decision he will not be going to Cheltenham as it appears he has pulled muscles in his back. However, we hope it is nothing that serious and that we might be able to get him back in time to go to Aintree.”
