Last year's Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Call Equiname will not defend his crown at Cheltenham next Wednesday.
The 10-year-old grey, who defeated Edredon Bleu by a length and a quarter last March, was not among today's 12 confirmations for the two-mile championship.
His trainer Paul Nicholls will rely on the hot ante-post favourite Flagship Uberalles, winner of the Arkle Trophy in 1999.
This year's Arkle Trophy favourite Decoupage stood his ground in the £185,000 contest as did last year's Champion Chase second and third, Edredon Bleu and Direct Route.
Call Equiname was one of three horses withdrawn today. The others were Dontleavethenest and Majadou.
Call Equiname is also in Thursday's Grand Annual Chase and Nicholls explained: "I've taken him out of the Queen Mother because he's had a few niggling little problems and I wouldn't have thought he'd be good enough to win the race.
"I'll run him on Thursday if he's right and the ground will have to be good. It's in the lap of the gods."
