Bad news folks: Willie Mullins' stable star Faugheen will not be competing in the Cheltenham festival this year. He has been withdrawn as a result of a "sore suspensory", which is a ligament in the horse's leg.
BREAKING: Faugheen will miss the Cheltenham Festival with a sore suspensory. More to follow.
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) February 17, 2016
Mullins confirmed the news this afternoon:
Unfortunately, we've had a hold-up with Faugheen and he won't be going to Cheltenham.
When we started back working him this week we discovered he had a sore suspensory and, while it isn't a serious problem, it's come at a bad time and it means we've had to abandon plans to run him in the Champion Hurdle.
Faugheen had been the 4/11 favourite to win the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle for a second year in a row, having won the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown a fortnight ago along with the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton in December.
In Faugheen's absence, many bookies have installed last year's Champion Hurdle runner-up Arctic Fire as the 3/1 favourite, with Nichol Canyon - the 2015 Morgiana Hurdle winner, ahead of Faugheen - the second favourite.
