Five horses set to miss the Cheltenham Festival after being ruled out for the season

The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of the National Hunt season, where the best horses, trainers, and jockeys compete for glory on the sport’s biggest stage.

However, as the countdown to March continues, the road to Prestbury Park is never without devastating setbacks.

Injuries are regularly an unfortunate reality in the sport, and this year is no exception. Several high-profile names who had done the rounds on Cheltenham tips pages have already been ruled out of the Festival.

Here, we look at five horses whose connections have been forced to withdraw them from the action, leaving gaps in some of the most eagerly anticipated races of the week.

Anzadam

In a blow for Willie Mullins, exciting prospect Anzadam was ruled out for the season just days after throwing his hat in the ring for a Champion Hurdle tilt.

The five-year-old, who races in the same yellow and black silks of the Donnellys as defending Champion Hurdle winner State Man, marked a second win in as many starts for Closutton when landing the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle by 11 lengths at Naas last month.

Anzadam was slashed to as short as just 8/1 to take on the indomitable Constitution Hill in the day one championship race in the aftermath, but Mullins later confirmed to Sporting Life that he picked up an injury in that contest and will miss the rest of the campaign.

The Jukebox Man

The Jukebox Man’s absence for the rest of the season was devastating news for the in-form trainer/jockey partnership of Ben Pauling and Ben Jones and prominent owner Harry Redknapp.

A useful hurdler last season, the seven-year-old came on massively over the larger obstacles—winning a Grade 2 at Newbury on reappearance in November before following up in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

The plan was for The Jukebox Man to head straight to Cheltenham for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, in which he was one of the favourites. However, Pauling confirmed on social media that their stable star would be out for the season after sustaining an injury on a routine exercise.

Fastorslow

Fastorslow’s plan to go to Kempton for the prestigious King George VI Chase on Boxing Day before heading back to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup was dashed when he suffered a soft tissue injury when finishing fourth in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in late November.

Thankfully, Martin Brassil confirmed his mount—who has beaten two-time Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs a remarkable three times—will return to the track next season.

Flooring Porter

Prestbury Park legend Flooring Porter will be denied another run at the Cheltenham Festival this spring after being ruled out for the campaign back in November.

A dual winner of the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, the 10-year-old’s main aim this season was the Grand National after scoring convincingly in the Kerry National in September.

However, trainer Gavin Cromwell confirmed he’s likely to miss the end-of-season festivals, claiming: “He’s been a real star for us so far, so it’s really unfortunate that we won’t be able to see him again this term.”

Irish Point

In an early-season setback for Gordon Elliott, the Robcour-owned Irish Point was sidelined with an injury in mid-October.

The seven-year-old won two Grade 1s and was season to State Man in the Champion Hurdle last year, and was set to take on stablemate Teahupoo in the Stayers’ Hurdle before being ruled out.

“Unfortunately, Irish Point has met with a setback and it will mean he misses the whole season,” Elliott said.

“It’s obviously a shame as he was one we were really looking forward to. It’s definitely not career-threatening or anything like that and he’s still a young horse with his best days ahead of him.”