Arctic Fire out of Cheltenham Festival

Trainer Willie Mullins has confirmed that Arctic Fire will not race at next month's Cheltenham Festival.

The seven-year-old had been installed as the second favourite with the bookmakers to win the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

However, Mullins has been forced to withdraw the Wicklow Bloodstock-owned horse following the discovery of a chip to his sesamoid bone.

"He worked this morning, after which we found out he had a chip on a sesamoid bone," Mullins told the Racing Post.

"We don't yet know whether it will have to be removed or not but I suspect it will.

"It's likely to leave him out of action for about 12 weeks, which means he'll miss the rest of the season."

The news of Arctic Fire's absence has come just a matter of days after Mullins revealed that stablemate Faugheen has also been sidelined by injury.