One of Britain’s best chances of Bumper glory has been ruled out of the meeting.
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper, a National Hunt Flat race, has been the nursery for many future jumps stars.
The likes of Florida Pearl, Cue Card and Envoi Allen are past winners of a championship race which Willie Mullins has won a record 13 times, including five of the last seven. He trains the first two horses in the betting, Gameofinches and Copacabana, whose chances have increased following the defection of Windbeneathmywings.
Trained by David Pipe, Windbeneathmywings won a Listed Bumper at Ascot by 14 lengths in December on his debut for the stable.
Pipe had high hopes he would emulate Moon Racer in 2015 by winning the £80.000 contest. But he announced the news on Monday that Windbeneathmywings would not take his chance on day two of the Cheltenham Festival.
“Windbeneathmywings will not be running in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival next week,” he said on X.
“He has suffered a setback and so we will give him all the time he needs. It is a big blow for his owners and our team but our main priority is to get him right.”
Windbeneathmywings began his career in Ireland, winning two out of three bumpers for trainer Pat Flynn.
He was subsequently sold to race in the colours of Professor Caroline Tisdall and Geoff Thompson.
There could be some consolation for Tisdall as she also owns Gameofinches.
The six-year-old is a winning point-to-pointer who got off the mark on debut for Mullins at Punchestown in February.
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