Mercian Prince will bypass an outing over the Grand National fences in the Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase at Aintree after suffering a setback.
Trainer Amy Murphy will aim the seven-year-old at the Listed Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase at Ayr on April 20 instead, after he sustained a cut on one of his legs in a Grade Three contest at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Newmarket handler said: "He was travelling very well, then he made a mistake at the top of the hill. He got a nasty gash and came home with quite a war wound.
"He had an awful lot of blood coming out of him when he came back in. Thank God it is superficial and that it will sort itself out as it could have been a lot worse.
"He is going to lose a few days with this wound so it has put us on the back foot.
"He will run in the two-and-a-half-mile Listed handicap chase at Ayr now. It is a shame he won't run in the Topham, but he is only seven and he can do that next year."
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