Racing News: Inglis Drever became the latest high-profile casualty of the New Year when he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a tendon injury.
Three leading Cheltenham Festival candidates have now been sidelined in as many days, with Harchibald and Kicking King, in addition to Inglis Drever, all suffering setbacks.
The latter, trained by Howard Johnson, was on course to defend his Ladbrokes World Hurdle crown but is now unlikely to be seen out before Christmas.
"He is out as he has injured a tendon," owner Graham Wylie said yesterday.
The seven-year-old scored at Wetherby on his seasonal bow and then landed the Ballymore Properties Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in November.
It is thought he picked up the injury around the time of his second run and that may account for his fall when already looking beaten in the totesport Long Walk Hurdle at Chepstow.
"He has had a lot of hard races and we think the problem might have surfaced after the Newbury race," Wylie continued.
"That would explain why he wasn't travelling very well in the Chepstow race and that run could have aggravated it even more.
"He seemed fine at the weekend apart from a little bit of swelling on his leg, which we thought was nothing more than bruising and it would go down.
"We had him scanned this morning and there is a hole in his tendon, so we will have to get him sorted out.
"If we had ignored it and carried on it might have made it worse, so we have done what is best for the horse and hopefully he will be back for next season."
Wylie's No Refuge had already been prominent in the betting for the Cheltenham stayers' contest and the Royal and SunAlliance Hurdle winner is now poised to take over the mantle from his stablemate.
"No Refuge would have to come into the picture now," added Wylie. "We have always wanted to try him at three miles and he was always there in case something happened to Drever, so we'll see how he goes."
Jonjo O'Neill's Rhinestone Cowboy, winner of the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown in 2004 but unraced since, is William Hill's new 4 to 1 favourite, with Baracouda next best at 9 to 2.
Ladbrokes are even more cautious about O'Neill's charge and make him their 3 to 1 market leader.
WORLD HURDLE BETTING: William Hill: 4-1 Rhinestone Cowboy, 9-2 Baracouda, No Refuge, 8-1 Golden Cross, Iris's Gift, 10-1 Asian Maze, My Way De Solzen, 12-1 Royal Rosa, 16-1 Ambobo, Attorney General, 20-1 bar.
Coral: 4-1 Rhinestone Cowboy, Baracouda, No Refuge, 8-1 Asian Maze, 9-1 Golden Cross, 10-1 My Way De Solzen, 12-1 Ambobo, 14-1 Attorney General, Mighty Man, Moulin Riche, 16-1 Al Eile, Crystal D'Ainay, Patriarch Express, Royal Rosa, 20-1 bar.
Ladbrokes: 3-1 Rhinestone Cowboy, 5-1 Baracouda, 6-1 No Refuge, 8-1 Golden Cross, 12-1 My Way De Solzen, Asian Maze, 16-1 Ambobo, Attorney General, Royal Rosa, 20-1 bar.
