Thistlecrack is to miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second year running, following the discovery of a stress fracture in a leg on Monday. The 10-year-old ran a promising race in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day but had been stiff since then, leading to the discovery of his latest injury.

“We were just getting really excited that the old Thistlecrack was still there and hopeful that he would go to the Gold Cup,” said Kim Tizzard, assistant trainer to her father, Colin. “Gutted for everybody, gutted for the staff and the owners but we have a horse and hopefully he’ll do his box rest and be all right for next season. He was a little bit stiff behind after the King George and today he’s been off and had x-rays and bone scans.”

Thistlecrack ran some way below his best when fourth in the Kempton race a fortnight ago but it was an encouraging effort for a horse coming back from a tendon injury and many pundits felt it made him a contender for the Gold Cup in March, for which he was a 12-1 shot until the news on Monday.

The news was a blow to his jockey, Tom Scudamore, who said: “He’d come out of Kempton stiff and sore but they [the Tizzards] said no more than usual. I was looking forward to going and having a sit on him in the next couple of weeks. It’s just unfortunate.”

Thistlecrack was heralded as the biggest talent in jump racing after winning the King George in 2016, when he was a novice over fences. That was his ninth consecutive success but he has failed to win since, having injured a tendon in defeat by Many Clouds at Cheltenham the following month. By the time of the Gold Cup next year he will be 11, older than any winner of the race since 1969.

This jumps seasons has taken a difficult turn for the Tizzards, who have also had to rule out their popular Cue Card from a planned race this weekend because of a foot infection. Their star novice chaser Finian’s Oscar has been a beaten favourite in his last two starts but there still appears hope that Native River can prove a Gold Cup candidate when he returns to the track next month.

Meanwhile Wolverhampton racecourse has addressed a rumour that its future might be in jeopardy from the proposed enhancements at Southwell, which is in the same ownership group. Responding to a tweet from an owner, the racecourse’s official Twitter account said: “Given the fact we are holding 79 fixtures here this year it is safe to say that our surface is not being dug up and being shipped to Southwell”. A rumour has persisted that the installation of floodlights at Southwell, allied to a change to a more conventional surface there, might allow ARC to close Wolverhampton, redistribute its fixtures and build on the site. The trainers including Tom Dascombe and Karl Burke have been sufficiently concerned to seek assurances from officials. Both said their fears were allayed.

ARC insiders have briefed that the rumour has no substance and claim that £6m has been spent on Wolverhampton in recent years, on a hotel on the site and on installing a new surface in 2014, which they say shows a commitment to racing on the site. But they have refused to go on the record with their denials.