Grand Crus skips Cheltenham

Grands Crus has been ruled out of next week's Cheltenham Festival after an unsatisfactory scope.

Although the grey reportedly worked well on Friday morning, trainer David Pipe was not totally happy with the routine test afterwards and following consultation with the owners decided to give Cheltenham a miss.

Grands Crus, who held entries in the Ryanair Chase and Ladbrokes World Hurdle, has had a difficult campaign.

He had a wind op after being pulled up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and although he finished third in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, he was pulled up again in the Argento Chase on his latest start. He was found to be suffering from ulcers afterwards.

He did, however, please connections in a racecourse spin at Exeter earlier in the week.

"He worked this morning and worked well. We scoped him and he wasn't 100 per cent so I had a chat with the owners and we decided to wait for Aintree. He might not run again this season," Pipe told At The Races.

"All options are still open but he won't go to Cheltenham.

"He still worked the same at home as he always has done. There's plenty more left this season and the worse scenario is he doesn't run again this season.

"We'll work towards Aintree and see how he goes between now and then.

"He's basically OK but you want to be 110 per cent."