CHAMPAGNE CLASSIC has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival due to injury.
Gordon Elliott’s chaser had been the 7-2 second favourite for the National Hunt Chase on the opening day of the festival before news of his injury broke.
It’s the second year in a row the nine-year-old will miss the festival due to injury and will keep him out for the rest of the season.
Elliott tweeted: “Unfortunately Champagne Classic suffered a set back during the week and will now be out for the rest of the season.”
Champagne Classic previously notched up a big victory in the 2017 Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle.
He’s the latest big name injury loss to the festival after Native River was ruled out of the Gold Cup earlier this month.
The 2018 winner was a considered a serious contender for the race this year but suffered a suspensory tendon injury that also ends his season.
Meanwhile Festival bosses are confident the action will go ahead as planned despite the growing Coronavirus fears.
Ireland’s Six Nations clash with Italy was yesterday postponed by the IRFU amid fears of the virus spreading here.
He told Sky Sports: “We are obviously in very close contact with the Government, and the BHA and RCA are talking on a regular basis.
“There is no problem in this country at the moment and we really look forward to the festival going ahead in a fortnight’s time.
“At the moment, what we are seeing has been fantastic. The Government have done a fantastic job and that I’m sure I’ll continue and therefore there will be no threat to the festival.
“We’ve had lots of things in the past. Last year we had equine flu and high winds as a risk. The previous year we had the ‘beast from east’. We are normally set to cope with most of these things leading up to the festival.
“There is always going to be some risk. But at the moment we really look forward to a fantastic festival in a fortnight’s time.”
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