Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Coneygree will miss Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury after failing to sparkle in a schooling session on Tuesday.
His participation in the prestigious handicap chase had been under a cloud following a small setback but the hope over the last few days was that he might be able to run.
This schooling session was the acid test and if he came through the exercise, for which he was partnered by his regular jockey Nico de Boinville, he was due to take his chance.
Unfortunately, trainer Mark Bradstock and his wife, Sara, were not happy enough with his jumping to let him take his chance.
"I'm afraid we're not running. He just didn't school well enough. He overreached which he's never done before which suggests he's not comfortable," said Sara Bradstock.
"He didn't jump badly but for him, it wasn't him. We've always said if there was any residual pain left we weren't going to take a risk.
"He definitely wasn't himself. Obviously the prime thing is to get him feeling absolutely on top of the world and not worrying about his foot"
"He definitely wasn't himself. Obviously the prime thing is to get him feeling absolutely on top of the world and not worrying about his foot.
"We've got a month to either the King George or the Lexus. I think all will be well. It's a timing thing.
"We're just worried about it. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we haven't flared it and he wasn't lame on it again tonight.
"It's just his foot, it's not structural damage."
Coneygree's absence means the weights will rise by 9lb leaving Saphir Du Rheu as the new top weight and clear ante-post favourite in his absence.
The pair had been vying for top spot at around 7-2. Now Saphir Du Rheu is clear market leader.
The Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old is 3-1 with Betfair, who are to refund all Hennessy ante-post bets on Coneygree.
Spokesman Barry Orr said: "The will he/won't he nature surrounding the Gold Cup winners participation and subsequent confirmation of his withdrawal has prompted us to refund all ante-post bets and let punters bet with some degree of certainty now he has been removed.
"Unsurprisingly Saphir Du Rheu is now clear favourite at 3-1 and he has been a very popular choice since his seasonal reappearance."
