Sprinter Sacre will not make his return to action in the 888sport Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday week.
Nicky Henderson's superstar two-miler has not run since being pulled up by Barry Geraghty in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton last Christmas, after which he was diagnosed with a heart problem, which has since been rectified.
Speaking at Newbury, the Seven Barrows trainer said: "With everything that is going on and the ground as much as anything, he's not quite really there, so he won't go Tingle Creeking. He will be strutting away at home and he's fine, but he's not quite ready.
"We went to Newmarket (to see Celia Marr, equine specialist) and came back with a clean bill of health from there and we are working away, but we are not quite ready."
Sprinter Sacre won the Tingle Creek in 2012, having earlier that year landed the Arkle at Cheltenham, where he returned the following March to claim the Queen Mother Champion Chase in devastating fashion.
Forced to miss his bid for a championship double in March, his last success came two runs ago at Punchestown in April 2013.
Henderson went on: "It leaves you kind of empty for the time being, but I would rather buy the time.
"He did two canters this morning and will do two tomorrow and we might decide to do a bit more with him on Saturday.
"He's not quite ready and he's got to be 100% when he goes to a racecourse and where do you do?
“Kempton (Desert Orchid Chase) was one of the places I wanted to avoid going to, after what happened to him last year.
"The one good thing was he had a four-day full MOT at Newmarket and everything is tickety-boo."
Henderson has also ruled stablemate Simonsig’s intended comeback in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon the day after the Tingle Creek.
The grey has been on the sidelines since winning the Arkle in 2013, having won the Neptune at the Festival 12 months earlier.
Henderson said: "He (Sprinter Sacre) needs to be at his best, which is where we also need to be with his other old mate Simonsig, and he's not going to quite make it either.
"We were looking to get him to the Peterbrough Chase to get him ready for the King George and he's had a couple of blips - he was lame for a couple of days. He is sound now, but he's not going to get to the Peterborough Chase."
Sprinter Sacre will not make his return to action in the 888sport Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday week.
Nicky Henderson's superstar two-miler has not run since being pulled up by Barry Geraghty in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton last Christmas, after which he was diagnosed with a heart problem, which has since been rectified.
Speaking at Newbury, the Seven Barrows trainer said: "With everything that is going on and the ground as much as anything, he's not quite really there, so he won't go Tingle Creeking. He will be strutting away at home and he's fine, but he's not quite ready.
"We went to Newmarket (to see Celia Marr, equine specialist) and came back with a clean bill of health from there and we are working away, but we are not quite ready."
Sprinter Sacre won the Tingle Creek in 2012, having earlier that year landed the Arkle at Cheltenham, where he returned the following March to claim the Queen Mother Champion Chase in devastating fashion.
Forced to miss his bid for a championship double in March, his last success came two runs ago at Punchestown in April 2013.
Henderson went on: "It leaves you kind of empty for the time being, but I would rather buy the time.
"He did two canters this morning and will do two tomorrow and we might decide to do a bit more with him on Saturday.
"He's not quite ready and he's got to be 100% when he goes to a racecourse and where do you do?
“Kempton (Desert Orchid Chase) was one of the places I wanted to avoid going to, after what happened to him last year.
"The one good thing was he had a four-day full MOT at Newmarket and everything is tickety-boo."
Henderson has also ruled stablemate Simonsig’s intended comeback in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon the day after the Tingle Creek.
The grey has been on the sidelines since winning the Arkle in 2013, having won the Neptune at the Festival 12 months earlier.
Henderson said: "He (Sprinter Sacre) needs to be at his best, which is where we also need to be with his other old mate Simonsig, and he's not going to quite make it either.
"We were looking to get him to the Peterbrough Chase to get him ready for the King George and he's had a couple of blips - he was lame for a couple of days. He is sound now, but he's not going to get to the Peterborough Chase."
Henderson was non-committal as to whether Simonsig could have his first run back in the King George at Kempton.
He said: "It would be a tall order for Simonsig to go to the King George, wouldn't it? But I can't say 'no he won't'. It would be a lot to ask him to miss the season then come into a three-mile chase having never been three miles before.
"He had been in really good order, and it has been frustrating. He's missed 10 days and he's perfectly fine now. He had a splint on a near-fore before and his problem is nothing to do with that. He was a bit lame behind. He's always a horse who you have to be careful with, with his constitution. He wouldn't be the most robust and if you bully him, you can push him the wrong way very quickly.
"Sprinter is the opposite, I've got to push him through this. There aren't many options. You come to the Victor Chandler next or the Desert Orchid and we will keep everybody posted.
"We are conscious of where we are and where everybody else is, as well. It is disappointing with Sprinter out, Sire De Grugy out - everybody was looking forward to it, well, I don't know if I was, actually!
"Nobody wants to see Sprinter more than we do. It is tough to say 'no' when you know you want to run. We are not running on Saturday week because of the ground. The horse is 101% and we ummed and ahhed all morning.
"He wouldn't be in training if we didn't think we would get there with him. He is in full exercise and work, but we are not going to take chances and push him. You can't force it to happen. It will if we let it, but if we push it - wheels will fall off these horses."
Some questions have been raised about the well-being of the Henderson string, with three odds-on chances beaten at Kempton on Monday.
Henderson, however, is adamant all is well, saying: "Too many people are saying there is something wrong with the horses.
"They are nearly there but we can't go off half-cocked. If you don't notice the difference between a horse that is 95% and 101%per then you shouldn't be doing it.
"We all know what we have to live with - that's a trainer's life - it's not always much fun when you have horses ruled out.
"We are thinking of taking Oscar Whisky to the Tingle Creek. I will think about it.
"Bobs Worth might go to the Lexus after a racecourse gallop."
