Gentleman De Mee will not take up his engagement in Wednesday's Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase after being ruled out by Willie Mullins.
The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old was a seven-length winner of the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Dublin Chase at Leopardstown when last seen in February and had beaten leading Champion Chase fancy Edwardstone in the Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree last spring.
In his absence, Mullins will rely on last year's Cheltenham Festival hero Energumene, who was third behind the reopposing Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone in the rearranged Clarence House Chase at Prestbury Park on his latest start.
Gentleman De Mee had been a general 8/1 shot for the Wednesday feature, for which final declarations will be made on Monday morning.
Mullins told sportinglife.com: "Gentleman De Mee has picked up an infection which means we're not going to take him to Cheltenham. But hopefully he'll be back for other spring targets."
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