HEY Big Spender is out for the season. The Rudimentary nine-year-old – so impressive when landing a valuable Warwick handicap off top weight last month – had been entered for the Cheltenham Gold Cup

But on Monday trainer Colin Tizzard gave the sad news that the horse had tweaked a tendon and would not run again until the autumn.

The handler from Milborne Port: "We gave him a very easy 10 days after Warwick and he seemed okay but as soon as we started working him again there must have been something lurking under the surface.

"We had him scanned and the problem was revealed – it is just thankful it's become obvious now and he hasn't raced on it again which could have made it a lot worse."

Tizzard's principal hope for Cheltenham Festival success now rests with novice chaser Cue Card who goes to Newbury tomorrow for the re-arranged card postponed from last weekend.

The King's Theatre gelding runs in the opening Grade Two chase normally known as the Game Spirit but renamed by the sponsors as the Betfair Super Saturday Steeple Chase at 12.15 over two miles and a furlong, a trip two furlongs shorter than when he won at the Berkshire track on New Year's Eve.

After the appearance of Nicky Henderson's reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup holder Long Run in the Denman Chase, Third Intention flies the Tizzard flag in the featured Betfair Hurdle, a race that sees the return of Triumph Hurdle hero and Champion Hurdle contender Zarkandar from the Paul Nicholls yard at Ditcheat.