Cheltenham Festival: Fox Norton to miss rest of season with leg injury

Fox Norton has won four times at Cheltenham

Fox Norton, second favourite for the Ryanair Chase at next month's Cheltenham Festival, has been ruled out for the season with a leg injury.

The eight-year-old, trained by Colin Tizzard, was a narrow runner-up to Special Tiara in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham meeting last year.

Joe Tizzard, the trainer's son and assistant, said: "Unfortunately, Fox Norton will miss the Cheltenham Festival and the rest of the season due to a slight suspensory injury."

After Cheltenham, Fox Norton went on to win at the Aintree and Punchestown festivals in 2017.

This season he was a close second to Politologue in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park, before being upped to three miles for the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day when he disappointed, but was subsequently found to have been suffering with a spinal issue.

Fox Norton had been second favourite for the Ryanair Chase behind last year's winner Un De Sceaux.