Paul Nicholls© Photo Healy Racing
Hinterland has been ruled out of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, with Paul Nicholls instead hoping for some consolation at Sandown in April.
The seven-year-old was among the outsiders for the Cheltenham Festival contest but was a Grade One winner as a novice and chased home stablemate Dodging Bullets in the Tingle Creek earlier in the year.
He was last seen when pulled up at Kempton in December and a Tuesday morning spin at the Esher circuit has resulted in a setback which precludes a Festival run.
The bet365 Celebration Chase at Sandown has now been earmarked as the back-up plan for Hinterland.
Nicholls said: "Hinterland bled at Kempton so he has been scratched from Cheltenham. He has been a nightmare to train.
"We will try to get him ready for Sandown in April."
