Marlborough out of Hennessy

Trainer Nicky Henderson today revealed his bitter disappointment at having to pull star chaser Marlborough out of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup - because of a trapped epiglottis.

The nine-year-old gelding had been on target for Saturday`s Stg£100,000 race at Newbury until the condition was unexpectedly discovered this morning.

And Marlborough, owned by Sir Robert Ogden, may also now miss his key mid-season target of the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

A shocked Henderson told PA Sport today: 'Everything had been going to plan. He worked absolutely beautifully on Saturday and has also worked at Newbury.'

But the problem came to light only this morning during a routine trachea wash of all his horses to make sure they are '100 per cent'.

A scope test revealed Marlborough had a trapped epiglottis which would mean surgery.

'It is pretty rare. We see one every year or every two years. It`s very uncommon. It wasn`t there on Saturday morning - butit is on Monday.

'It will require fairly straightforward and routine surgery which will obviously be done pretty shortly - like this week.

'After that, he will be anything up to three weeks before he starts cantering again and, therefore, we have to say that the King George, sadly, also becomes an improbability.

'It is pretty unlikely. The vets have said so and we have spoken to various experts on the subject with Sir Robert.

'It may be less than three weeks before he starts cantering again - but less than three weeks is a short time to get him ready for a race like the King George.

'I think it makes the King George pretty unlikely.

'Needless to say, this is a bitter blow for us. I have spoken to Sir Robert and there was no point declaring him this morning. Sir Robert and everybody here are very, very disappointed. This has been the plan all along.

'It wasn`t there on Saturday but it does interfere with the breathing. No horse would be at his best while this is the case, therefore it was lucky we found it. He wouldn`t have run very well!

'We are going to be concerned with the second half of the season and we will be getting him ready for the Gold Cup,' said Henderson.

The news is ironic because the main problem for Marlborough had, until this morning, been whether jockey Mick Fitzgerald would be available to ride the gelding.

He is tomorrow due to appeal against a six-day ban imposed by the Cheltenham stewards which, if he loses, would rule him out of the Newbury race.