---
title: "Nicky Henderson’s Daphne Du Clos ruled out of Cheltenham"
canonical: "https://readhorseracing.com/2017/03/07/nicky-hendersons-daphne-du-clos-ruled-cheltenham/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Daniel Archer"
section: "News"
published: "2017-03-07T16:19:23Z"
modified: "2017-03-07T16:23:16Z"
---

# Nicky Henderson’s Daphne Du Clos ruled out of Cheltenham

In a year where a number of equine stars will miss the Cheltenham Festival, general 8/1 second favourite for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, Daphne Du Clos, trained by Nicky Henderson, will also miss the *Greatest Show on Turf* at Prestbury Park next week.

Seven Barrows handler Henderson revealed on Twitter that the improving filly would miss the Festival after suffering a minor setback.

The progressive four-year-old had looked a serious horse to follow so far this season.

> Daphne Du Clos has picked up a tiny problem which rules her out of [@CheltenhamRaces](https://twitter.com/CheltenhamRaces?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Bumper. It's a terrible shame but she'll be back next yr
>
> — Nicky Henderson (@sevenbarrows) [March 7, 2017](https://twitter.com/sevenbarrows/status/839085858481373184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

A head second to the very decent Cap Soleil at Cheltenham on her debut, the daughter of Spanish Moon was a facile three-and-a-quarter-length winner at Newbury last time in a decent Listed contest last month, where she was hardly asked a question by Sean Bowen. She put the race to bed very easily in that contest and had been earmarked as a stand-out candidate for the Champion Bumper over two-miles at Prestbury where she would have been in receipt of an allowance given she was a filly, whilst her course form may also have proved valuable.

However, she now misses the contest in which Willie Mullins’ imposing grey Carter McKay heads the betting.

The news will come as a blow to Lambourn handler Henderson, who has talked up the horse ever since she arrived in France. Henderson still has a strong Cheltenham squad at his disposal which is headed by Arkle Chase favourite Altior.