Jockey Noel Fehily will have an operation on his injured wrist on Wednesday morning.
The luckless pilot was due to ride Kauto Star in his bid for history in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
However, he ruled himself out of the ride last week when he aggravated an old injury and it now needs to be wired.
‘I'm having an operation on Wednesday morning,’ said Fehily.
‘The ligament is ruptured and it needs to be wired, as far as I've been told, and I just need to give it time to heal. It will be six to eight weeks I'd imagine.
‘They haven't told me when I can expect to be back riding. I'll have a better idea on Wednesday, but I'd imagine it will be six to eight weeks minimum.
‘It would be nice to think I'd be back for Cheltenham.’
Fehily has stood in for the injured Ruby Walsh with aplomb on the likes of Master Minded, Silviniaco Conti and Sam Winner so far this season for Paul Nicholls.
