Nicky Henderson`s injury jinx struck again today with the news that Tiutchev would miss tomorrow`s Mitsubishi Shogun Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.
The Seven Barrows trainer lost leading bumper horse Inca to a gallops accident in November and earlier this week announced that Arkle Trophy hope Blue Royal was out for the season.
However, Henderson was upbeat about prospects of Tiutchev`s returning to action in the near future.
He explained: 'He schooled yesterday and just knocked one joint.
'He`s had his problems and he is a little bit delicate. I think and hope that he hasn`t done anything at all sinister but I`ve just got to be very careful.
'I couldn`t work him this morning and we don`t want to ask him to get into very testing ground first time out tomorrow with a niggling worry.
'He`s going to have a quiet weekend and I`ll let everybody know on Monday where we are.'
Tiutchev is Coral`s 4-1 favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March and that remains the target for last year`s Arkle Trophy winner.
'The owners have been very good, it`s very disappointing because these races don`t come along very often,' Henderson added.
'But he only had one target last season and he has only got one target this year - surprise, surprise it`s in March - so I`m not taking any chances here.
'You play with horses and you are playing with fire. They are delicate but this one`s very delicate and we`re just going to be very careful. The horse always comes first.'
