Eamonn Sheehy’s Rathgar Beau has been ruled out for the rest of the season after injuring a tendon.
The 10-year-old, who lifted last year's Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown by shading it over Moscow Flyer, has not run since finishing second to Central House in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork last month.
Sheehy revealed Rathgar Beau had hurt his leg in that race but
they had been hoping for a speedy recovery.
He told the Racing Post: "We thought it was just a bang and he would recover quite quickly, but we had to give Leopardstown at Christmas a miss and when we had the leg scanned we discovered enough of a problem to rule him out for the rest of the season.
"As such injuries go it isn't very serious, but he is too good a horse to take any chances with and with plenty of rest we should have him back next season."
The first week of the new year has seen Kicking King and Inglis Drever ruled out of action for the rest of this term. The pair have also sustained tendon injuries, while Noel Meade's Smurfit Champion Hurdle hope Harchibald faces a race against time to be fit for Cheltenham and beyond after damaging a leg.
