Charlie Egerton has lost his third high-class jumper in recent years with the death of former Tote Gold Trophy winner Decoupage.
His eight-year-old, a promising chaser, has been put down due to incurable laminitis.
He follows the trainer`s ill-fated pair Shadow Leader and Mysilv, who both lost their lives in the late-1990s.
'Decoupage was the most lovely, quality horse,' Egerton told the Racing Post.
'If you wanted to show someone the perfect stamp of National Hunt horse he`d be the one you`d pull out to show them. Decoupage was exceptionally talented on his day.
'It`s a bitter blow losing any horse, the more so a top-class one as they are so incredibly hard to replace.'
Decoupage gained the biggest of his three career hurdle victories in the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury in 1999 and also finished second to Istabraq in the Shell Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.
Sent chasing last season, the gelding won his first two starts and started favourite for the Guinness Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, where he finished third behind Tiutchev.
