Racing: Rathgar Beau has been ruled out for the rest of the season after injuring a tendon. The 10-year-old, who lifted last year's Kerrygold Champion Chase at Punchestown, has not run since finishing second to Central House in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork last month.
Trainer Eamon Sheehy revealed Rathgar Beau had hurt his leg in that race but they had been hoping for a speedy recovery.
He told the Racing Post: "We thought it was just a bang and he would recover quite quickly, but we had to give Leopardstown at Christmas a miss and when we had the leg scanned we discovered enough of a problem to rule him out for the rest of the season.
"As such injuries go it isn't very serious, but he is too good a horse to take any chances with and with plenty of rest we should have him back next season."
Rathgar Beau is the latest in a lengthy line of Cheltenham Festival hopes to be sidelined by injury.
Champion Hurdle contender Harchibald faces a race against time to be fit for the Festival after damaging a leg while Kicking King and Inglis Drever have already been ruled out of the meeting in March due to tendon troubles.