Nil Desperandum to miss Festival Irish novice chaser Nil Desperandum will miss next month´s Cheltenham Festival. The talented seven-year-old had been a leading contender for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase after hacking up by 14 lengths in a Grade One event in November. But he was forced to miss an intended run at Naas last month after knocking a chip from the bone on his pastern. 'He is progressing slowly but he won´t make Cheltenham,' trainer Frances Crowley said today. 'He is recovering, but it is taking time and we don´t know whether he will run again this year. It is probable that he won´t be back out until the autumn, but we are not making any decision until we know how he is. 'He´ll be OK in time but his recovery is slower than we thought it would be,' she added.
