Racing:Hurricane Fly will face a maximum of five rivals in the BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown after Dunguib was ruled out of Sunday's Grade One feature with a minor blood disorder.
Philip Fenton's eight-year-old had been due to make his first start since the Punchestown Festival in April.
"Unfortunately he's going to miss Sunday. We blood-tested him on Tuesday morning and it is not quite up to scratch so we are going to have to divert," said the trainer.
"The Red Mills Hurdle at Gowran (February 12) is the next assignment. Thankfully it's nothing serious, it's not a major blood problem and is treatable, it will just set him back 10 days or so."
Dunguib was the 9-2 third-favourite for this weekend's contest with Paddy Power, who are to refund all bets on the 2009 Cheltenham Champion Bumper winner.
Hurricane Fly spearheads seven confirmations and could well end up with just four opponents as Peddlers Cross is highly unlikely to be in the final field – he is heading for the Haydock Champion Hurdle Trial instead.
Willie Mullins said of his seven-year-old, who has won his two starts this season with consummate ease: "I'm very happy with the horse going into the race."
His main rival is likely to be last year's winner Solwhit, of whom Charles Byrnes said: "He has come out of the Festival Hurdle very well. He would have preferred more of a gallop, although he would still not have beaten Hurricane Fly, but they would probably have been a long way ahead of the third.
"The chances of beating Hurricane Fly on Sunday are very, very slim as Hurricane appears to be settling better in his races now and he is much better at the end of his races than he previously was."
Voler La Vedette is the only mare in the field and is reported by Colm Murphy to be on course for the race, while Mullins has also left in Thousand Stars, and Sublimity also remains in contention.