Last season's Gold Cup hero will not race again after failing to recover from injury.
Last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Don Cossack will not race again after connections announced their ten-year-old is to be retired.
The Gigginstown House-owned star, who won six grade one events as a chaser, has failed to recover from a tendon injury that has kept him on the side lines since April.
Don Cossack, who was a general 12/1 chance to follow up in March, provided trainer Gordon Elliott with his first Gold Cup success when running out a four-and-a-half length winner of the event last March and the trainer confirmed the news in his Betfair Blog on Wednesday morning.
He said: "We found that he had a bit of heat in his leg yesterday [Tuesday] and we've made the decision to call time.
"It's a real sickener for Gigginstown, myself, Bryan Cooper and the whole yard. We knew it was never certain we would get him back to the racecourse and even after that, to get him back to his best, but we were hopeful and he was on track for a run at Gowran Park next month.
"He's a horse of a lifetime and he owes us nothing. I said all season that if he had any sort of setback at all we would not abuse him and retire him straight away."
Bookmakers reacted by cutting Thistlecrack to as short as 8/11 in places, with BetStars a standout even money about the Colin Tizzard-trained King George winner. Coral cut Thistlecrack into 4/5 from Evens, with spokesman Simon Clare saying: "The leading challengers to Thistlecrack's bid for Gold Cup glory are falling like flies and it is looking more and more likely that his own stablemates, the likes of Native River, Alary and perhaps Cue Card should they decide to run, will prove his most dangerous opponent.
"With the last two winners of the race already out of the contest, and the connections of several others eyeing up the Ryanair Chase instead, Thistlecrack could well face the smallest Gold Cup field since Captain Christy took on six rivals back in 1974".
BREAKING NEWS: Don Cossack, the 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, has been retired after suffering fresh setback. pic.twitter.com/9r5HbvwIBu
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) January 11, 2017
