Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed Topofthegame has now been retired having been out of action since April 2019.
The writing appeared to be on the wall after a latest setback was announced, and the 2019 RSA Insurance Novices' Chase winner won't be kept in training.
Nicholls told Betfair in a pre-season column: "With Topofthegame the red light is flashing quite strongly after a new issue surfaced so we have no option but to call it a day with him as a racehorse."
Topofthegame won three times under Rules in total and was a gallant second in the 2018 Coral Cup, as well as runner-up in the 2018 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton and the top-class Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree, the race that proved to be his final public outing.
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