Updated at 7pm
JUST DAYS AFTER confirming defending champion Faugheen will miss the 2016 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, Willie Mullins today announced Arctic Fire would also miss the trip to Prestbury Park.
Using Twitter, the champion trainer said the seven-year-old had a ‘little chip off a sesamoid bone’ which would need to be removed.
The sesamoids allow the horse’s fetlock and foot to move in sync and recovery can take up to four months.
The Wicklow Bloodstock owned horse has four wins in 18 runs, with the last coming at Fairyhouse in November 2015, and had been 3/1 second favourite for the race having finished second behind Faugheen last year.
Mullins still has the top two in the market in Annie Power 7/4 and Nichols Canyon 9/2 with the former still to be officially declared for the race.
First published at 6.20pm.
