Cliffs Of Dover will not run in the Cheltenham Festival next month after being ruled out for the rest of the season.
The four-year-old has won six of his last seven starts and was being aimed at the Triumph Hurdle at The Festival but will now miss out.
Trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed Cliffs of Dover has suffered a leg injury and it’s worse than he first thought so he will not be seen again this season with a return around Christmas now the plan.
He wrote in his Betfair blog: “Cliffs of Dover will miss the rest of the season after knocking a leg during a schooling session over hurdles just over a fortnight ago.
“I was hoping the injury would have cleared up by now but unfortunately it is a bit more serious than we first thought.
“So he will not be going to Cheltenham for the Triumph Hurdle next month, which is a shame because he has been a revelation since joining us in the summer with a mark of only 64 on the Flat.
“Cliffs of Dover will have a nice long break now before he comes back into training in the autumn and we will aim to have him right for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.”