Injury ends Native River’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hopes

Winner of the race in 2018, he would have been heading back to the Festival aiming to become the first horse since Kauto Star in 2009 to regain the blue riband.

The 10-year-old had appeared right back to his best this season, winning at Aintree and only recently in the Denman Chase at Newbury.

He was also prominent in the betting for the Randox Health Grand National, although his participation in that race had still to be confirmed.

Trainer Colin Tizzard’s son and assistant Joe said: “Unfortunately we’ve had to scratch Native River from the Gold Cup – he’s picked up a suspensory tendon injury, which means his season is over.”

Native River was in line to appear at his sixth successive Cheltenham Festival. He was unplaced in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in 2015 but has been in the frame ever since.

The following year he chased home Minella Rocco in the National Hunt Chase, before finishing third to Sizing John in the 2017 Gold Cup.

He then came out on top a year later in a thrilling battle with Might Bite to take the most sought-after prize in steeplechasing – and despite connections intimating he was never at his best last season, he still finished fourth in defence of his crown.

Native River had been around the 10-1 mark – and as a result of his withdrawal, those at the head of the betting were trimmed slightly.

Coral now make Santini their 100-30 favourite (from 9-2), with last year’s winner Al Boum Photo a 7-2 chance, and Willie Mullins reports the eight-year-old to have had a trouble-free preparation this season.

While Al Boum Photo does not run too often, he has nevertheless won seven of 15 races and Mullins has followed the path which worked so well last season, by running only at Tramore on New Year’s Day prior to the Festival.

“We’ve had no trouble with him this season, so fingers crossed everything stays right between now and the Gold Cup,” he said.

“We will take him away somewhere to school – we were just discussing that this morning. We’ll take him wherever we can get in, just for a day away rather than a hard piece of work.

“I thought last year’s Gold Cup was very tough and I don’t think this year looks any tougher.

“He’s in great form anyway and I think his preparation will be good for him. He’s going there in good order and in a good frame of mind. He has a fantastic chance.”

Paul Townend was on board last year and Mullins expects the partnership to remain intact despite stablemate Kemboy beating the duo at Punchestown last term, when Ruby Walsh rode the winner.

“I would assume Paul is going to ride him again. The final bits of work will probably dictate that,” said Mullins.

Kemboy was a first-fence faller in the Gold Cup last year and Ireland’s champion trainer would prefer the ground to dry up for him.

“I don’t like it when a horse falls at a track, but hopefully he can put that behind him,” added Mullins.