Finian's Oscar and Zabana are the latest big names to be ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival due to minor setbacks.
Five-year-old Finian's Oscar was among the leading lights for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle after winning each of his three hurdles starts this term, including the Grade One Tolworth at Sandown in January.
However, trainer Colin Tizzard reports his charge to be suffering from a small issue which will see him miss out next week, although he is hoping Finian's Oscar will be ready to run at Aintree next month.
Tizzard said: "Unfortunately Finian's Oscar will miss Cheltenham due to a minor setback. It's only a minor issue and all being well he will run at Aintree."
Meanwhile, Zabana has been ruled out of the Ryanair Chase after a dirty scope.
Trainer Andy Lynch had passed up the chance run Zabana in the Gold Cup, targeting the eight-year-old at the two-mile-five-furlong race
Zabana was a leading Irish hope to win it too, but Lynch has been forced to withdraw him after this morning’s setback.
It means another luckless Festival for the horse, who unseated rider Davy Russell at the start of last year's JLT Novices’ Chase and was just beaten into second in the 2015 Coral Cup.
Listen to all the action from Cheltenham live on RTE Radio next week, from 1pm on Radio 1 Extra and LW, and on the Ray D'Arcy Show from 3pm.
