2015 CHAMPION HURDLE winner Faugheen will miss this year’s Cheltenham festival due to injury .

The once-beaten eight-year-old was the heavy favourite for this year’s renewal after two impressive performances over hurdles in December and January following a shock defeat at the hands of Nichols Canyon at Punchestown in November.

However, the six-time Grade One winner suffered a suspensory ligament injury while in training ahead of his Prestbury Park return with trainer Willie Mullins telling the Racing Post:

When we started back working him this week we discovered he had a sore suspensory and, while it isn’t a serious problem, it’s come at a bad time and it means we’ve had to abandon plans to run him in the Champion Hurdle.

Annie Power — who Mullins says could be supplemented into the Champion Hurdle —  is the new 2/1 favourite for the race with significant moves in the market for Arctic Fire (8/1 – 3/1), Nichols Canyon (12/1 – 7/2) and Peace & Co (33/1 – 9/1).

However, whether or not Annie Power runs in this particular race remains to be seen.

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