Reve de Sivola is to miss a year after sustaining a tendon injury.
The seven-year-old Grade One winner, who claimed the 2010 Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, had been looked at as a Cheltenham contender. However, his fresh setback has ended any hope of that.
The Nick Williams-trained gelding was seen as a lively challenger after his third place finish to The Minack at Ascot in December, but owner Paul Duffy has now been quoted by the Press Association as saying: "We're taking vets advice and he's going to be out for 12 months.
"It's not as serious as some tendon injuries, but we won't see him on the track for a year."