Grandouet will not run in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, trainer Nicky Henderson has confirmed.
Henderson's five-year-old gelding will not recover in time for the two-mile feature on 13 March after having undergone surgery on an infected hind fetlock joint on Tuesday evening.
Henderson said: "We've had a long discussion with the vets and his owner, Simon Munir.
"The horse has made further progress this morning, but we feel it is unrealistic to expect him to be able to work this weekend.
"This would undoubtedly be a very interrupted preparation, so we have decided that in everybody's interest it is better to decide now that he will not run in the Champion Hurdle."
