Trainer Colm Murphy's unbeaten mare Feathard Lady will definitely miss the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The County Wexford handler has been in a race against time to get the six-year-old ready for the championship event after she sprained a hind fetlock joint two weeks ago.
Murphy said: "I met with the owners yesterday and on veterinary advice we decided that we weren't going to make it."
Feathard Lady, an impressive winner of the Christmas Hurdle at Sandown, was a 5-1 chance for the Champion Hurdle with Ladbrokes.