IMPERIAL Commander will miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second successive year after picking up a lung infection, trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has revealed.
The 2010 Champion was pulled up in the 2011 renewal and missed the entire 2012 season after suffering a burst blood vessel.
Guiting Power-based trainer Twiston-Davies had high hopes that the 12-year-old was back in the form that saw him upset the Kauto Star-Denman battle to strike gold three years ago.
He was narrowly beaten by Cape Tribulation in the Argento Chase on Festival Trials day in January and hopes were high of a great run in the Gold Cup a week on Friday.
But Twiston-Davies confirmed that the latest blow will see him ruled out of the blue riband event at Prestbury Park, but that he may be available to run at the Grand National Meeting at Aintree next month.
Twiston-Davies said: "He's got a lung infection so he won't be going to Cheltenham, that's that.
"What can you do, it's an absolute sickener but they are very delicate creatures.
"I'm sure he's still as good as ever, he's been in great form, but you can't rush them.
"Hopefully he'll be Okay for Liverpool."
