THE curse of the big-race fancies at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival has struck again with today's news that Gold Cup favourite Thistlecrack will miss the remainder of the campaign after suffering a tendon injury.

The brilliant Colin Tizzard-trained nine-year-old won his first four starts over fences, including a scintillating victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

And he remained at the head of the Gold Cup market despite suffering a surprise defeat at the hands of the ill-fated Many Clouds in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham at the end of January.

Tizzard said: "Thistlecrack is out for the season, unfortunately. He had a bit of heat in his leg last night and was a bit sore.

"We had the leg scanned this morning and he has a slight tear on his tendon.

Thistlecrack is just one of a number high-profile casualties who will miss this year's Festival.

FAUGHEEN (Champion Hurdle)

A stress fracture finally put paid to any chance of Faugheen trying to repeat his Champion Hurdle success of 2015 after several niggly problems had kept him off the track since he won the Irish equivalent in January 2016.

ANNIE POWER (Champion Hurdle)

Last year's Champion Hurdle heroine was nearing a possible return to action when she suffered a leg injury forcing trainer Willie Mullins to scrap plans for the defence of her crown, and perhaps the rest of the campaign.

MIN (Arkle Trophy)

In the whole scheme of things a bruise is extremely minor, but one has come at the wrong time for Min. His proposed rematch with Altior, who beat him in last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle, is now off the agenda.

DON COSSACK (Gold Cup)

Gordon Elliott had to call time on Don Cossack's career last month after the 2016 Gold Cup hero sustained a recurrence of a tendon injury when back in training with a view to a bid for a repeat triumph.

CONEYGREE (Gold Cup)

Mark and Sara Bradstock decided not to enter Cotswold-owned Coneygree for this year's Gold Cup as the 2015 winner had not recovered sufficiently from the problem that ruled him out of the King George.

SPRINTER SACRE (Champion Chase)

The tip-top chaser was retired after picking up a leg injury in November. He suffered an irregular heartbeat at the end of 2013 that kept him on the sidelines for well over a year, yet Nicky Henderson and his team worked wonders to get the 2013 winner to win the showpiece again in 2016.

VALSEUR LIDO (Ryanair/Gold Cup)

Henry de Bromhead's charge made quite an impression in winning a Down Royal Grade One by 11 lengths on his seasonal bow, but he could miss the rest of the season after sustaining an injury on the gallops last month.