Elixir De Nutz, winner of the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown on his most recent start, was ruled out of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on Monday evening after he was found to be lame.

The Colin Tizzard-trained five-year-old, who won a Grade 2 over the same course and distance as the Supreme earlier in the season, had been a general 12-1 shot for the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival.

Joe Tizzard, assistant trainer to his father Colin, said on Monday: "Unfortunately Elixir De Nutz won’t be running in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle tomorrow as he’s lame this evening."

Elixir De Nutz's absence leaves 17 set to go to post in the Supreme. Al Dancer, Angels Breath and Klassical Dream are all disputing favouritism at the 5-1 mark.

Also not going to Cheltenham is Imperial Cup winner Malaya, whose Sandown victory on Saturday had put her in line to bid for Matchbook's £100,000 bonus at the festival. However, she will not line up for Friday's Randox Health County Hurdle, for which she had been prominent in the market at around 10-1.

Trainer Paul Nicholls tweeted: "To keep everyone in the loop Malaya has been scratched from Friday's County Hurdle and will head to Ayr in April instead. Friday will come too soon."

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