ONE OF THE favourites for Cheltenham has been ruled out of the March festival after sustaining an injury while claiming victory last Sunday afternoon.
French horse Master Dino, trained by Guillaume Macaire, claimed an impressive victory on his debut in England on Sunday when winning by seven lengths at Plumpton.
The result saw him jump to the top of the betting for the JLT Novices’ Chase, the race run on the third day of Cheltenham that was won last year by Shattered Love for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy.
That win was Master Dino’s third in succession after previous wins at Auteuil in France but it has emerged that he suffered a hairline leg fracture during Sunday’s race.
He has now been ruled out for the Cheltenham Festival and will not race again this year with a comeback targeted for 2020.
“Master Dino has been operated on for a hairline fracture of a hind leg and has had three screws inserted today,” racing manager Anthony Bromley told The Racing Post today.
“He will definitely miss Cheltenham. He’s come out of the surgery fine. He won’t be racing in 2019 but hopefully, with proper recovery, he could be racing in 2020.”
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