Grand Seigneur is expected to miss the Elite Racing Club Triumph Hurdle, for which he had been 5-1 second favourite with Ladbrokes, after suffering a leg injury.
Trainer Francois Doumen today warned that his four-year-old, an impressive 26-length winner of a Grade Two contest at Lingfield last month, would not recover in time for the Cheltenham Festival.
The French trainer said: "It is not a tendon, but he needs a bit of time and I don't think he will be ready early enough for the Festival."
Grand Seigneur has been taken out of the betting for the Triumph Hurdle by most bookmakers and Doumen observed: "That's wise."
Doumen also suffered Triumph Hurdle misfortune last season when leading fancy Hors La Loi III was sold out of his stable a month before the race.
No French-trained horse has won the Triumph since Kwannin in 1955, when it was staged at Hurst Park.
