Injury proves fatal for Cochet French-trained Jair du Cochet, 11 to 2 second favourite for next week´s Cheltenham Gold Cup, has had to be put down after injuring himself in training.Trainer Guillaume Macaire said yesterday: 'The horse did his last bit of serious work before Cheltenham this morning.'He worked brilliantly but when they pulled up they found that he was lame. He had broken a cannon bone . . . and the only thing they could do was put him down.' Jair du Cochet beat 4 to 6 Gold Cup favourite Best Mate in a warm-up race at Huntingdon in November but flopped in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park in December when he had to be pulled up.He restored his reputation by winning a big race at Cheltenham in January and had been seen as a threat to Best Mate, Gold Cup winner for the last two years.His absence sharply boosts Best Mate´s chance of emulating the great Arkle a week on Thursday by winning three Cheltenham Gold Cups in succession.Vet Buffy Shirley-Beavan was at the Macaire yard and explained what happened. 'He did a sparkling piece of work this morning as part of his final preparations for the Gold Cup, but unfortunately he pulled up lame with a very bad fracture to his off-hind cannon bone, which, sadly, could not be repaired,' she said.
