Transcend to miss Cheltenham

Promising novice chaser Lord Transcend is set to miss the rest of the season after sustaining a leg injury.

The seven-year-old, who is trained by Howard Johnson, was a leading contender for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival after making a winning debut over fences last November.

However, Johnson expects him to miss out as he will need at least a month’s rest to recover from a foreleg problem.

The trainer told the Racing Post: “He had a touch of colic on Boxing Day and he may have injured the leg when he was cast in his box then.

“But I’ve got a feeling it’s something he has been feeling for some time because he’s had a bit of a tendency to hang – and this problem may have been the cause of that.

“It will need at least 30 days’ box rest before he can do any more work, which means he won’t be running for the foreseeable future.

“I’d say it’s unlikely that we’ll get him back for another race this season and realistically it will be November before he’s seen on the course again.”

Lord Transcend, who runs in the colours of Transcend (Hair and Beauty) Limited which is owned by Graham Wylie’s wife Andrea, had been quoted at 8-1 for the SunAlliance by William Hill.