Simonsig has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival, but Nicky Henderson still hopes the grey will make another appearance before the end of the current campaign.

The 10-year-old looked a potential two-mile superstar when winning the Arkle at Cheltenham back in 2013, but he has been plagued by injury in the intervening period.

Simonsig eventually reappeared over hurdles at Aintree in November, chasing home former Gold Cup-winning stablemate Bobs Worth and had been due to tackle the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December.

However, a late setback ruled him out of that race and Henderson has been battling to get him ready for the Festival ever since - a fight in which he has now conceded defeat.

Henderson told Press Association Sport: "We have taken him out of the Champion Chase because we're simply not going to be ready in time.

"He's just not going to be ready for Cheltenham, one way or another. We fully intend for him to make an appearance at some point - we don't want another season to go by - so we will have to regroup now.

"There's still Aintree and Punchestown to come, but we're just not going to make it to Cheltenham.

"He's good and he's sound, that's the main thing. It's just hard to make up the time we've lost."