Ollie Magern - ruled out by leg injury.

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Another Cheltenham Festival favourite bit the dust when Ollie Magern was ruled out for the rest of the season with a leg injury.

The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding joins Best Mate on the easy list after the triple Gold Cup hero defected from the blue riband after breaking a blood vessel.

Ollie Magern, who was being considered for the Gold Cup, was as low as 11-4 market leader for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.

"It is nothing serious, but he will have to have an operation and have some pins put in it, and the prognosis is that he should be fine for next season.

"It only appeared this evening. He was fine doing his work this morning, but come evening stables he was lame. The vet was on the spot, X-rayed him and he was off down to Newmarket to be operated on."

Their spokesman Damian Walker said: "Ante-post betting is not for those of a nervous disposition but in the run up to this year's Festival punters have suffered some extraordinary bad luck.

"Best Mate, Kauto Star, Lord Of Illusion and now Ollie Magern were all extremely well backed by ante-post punters and yet none of the four will be running at the Festival."

Latest totesport odds: 11-4 (from 5) Trabolgan, 10/3 (from 11/2) Comply Or Die, 10/3 (from 6) L'Ami, 5 (from 9) Cornish Rebel, 8 (from 12) Keepatem, 10 (from 12) Jazz D'Estruval, 12 (from 25) Tribal Venture, 14 (from 20) Like-A-Butterfly, 25 Sixo, 33 A Glass In Thyne, Control Man, Graphic Approach, Meneur De Jeu, Newmill, Ross River, Torche, 40 Backbeat, King Harald, Over The Bar, Quazar, Scarthy Lad, 50 Livingstonebramble, Supreme Toss, 66 Another Rum, Brave Spirit, Light Des Mulottes, Mutineer, 100 Denada.

Each-Way ¼ odds 1, 2, 3