Marine Nationale will not defend his crown in the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next week after suffering a setback. The nine-year-old claimed the two-mile crown with a brilliant 18-length victory 12 months ago, his second Festival success having previously claimed the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in 2023. "We got the vet in and the vet put him on pain (relief) medication and he's just feeling very sorry for himself. "If it happened a couple of weeks ago we might have been all right, but we're just out of time. "He's been the soundest horse we've ever trained - he's never sick and he's never lame - but it is what it is.

Source: Irish Examiner March 03, 2026 18:25 UTC