Cheltenham: Six horses who've been ruled out for the Festival...

With the news last year’s Champion Hurdle runner-up Arctic Fire has suffered an injury and will not be at Cheltenham, we look at six other big names with genuine Festival hopes to have been ruled out of the showpiece meeting so far:

1. FAUGHEEN, Champion Hurdle (Willie Mullins)

Just minutes before stablemate Annie Power made her comeback at Punchestown, punters and bookmakers alike were coming to terms with the fact the ‘Machine’ would not be defending his Champion Hurdle crown after a suspensory ligament problem was revealed. A really tough pill to swallow for all concerned, but the good news is he should be back as good as ever next season.