Former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run appears unlikely to make an appearance in the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase at this year's Festival.
Now trained by owner Robert Waley-Cohen, the 11-year-old has not been seen in competitive action since finishing down the field at Auteuil in May 2014, when in the care of Nicky Henderson.
He was closing in on a hunter chase comeback, but a setback has hit plans to qualify for the race on Gold Cup day, March 18, for which he was the general second-favourite.
Waley-Cohen tweeted: " Long Run has had a setback so it's going to be a struggle to get qualified for Foxhunters at Cheltenham as doubt we can get 2 runs in Feb."