Little Josh Will Miss Cheltenham

There is tough news coming out for fans of the Twiston-Davies yard as Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Little Josh has seen his Cheltenham hopes dashed due to precautionary measures for a minor injury.

While Little Josh’s jumping career certainly isn’t in doubt, connections have opted to lay him off until the start of next season. Speaking to the Racing Post, the popular conditioner was quick to state that this was a short-term setback – not a long-term threat to the popular chaser’s career.

“It is only a minor injury to a leg but is enough to see him out of action for the rest of the season,” Twiston-Davies confirmed, “he won’t run again this year.”

Little Josh had been a recognizable name in the National Hunt world for a while and made a real statement by scoring in the Paddy Power Gold Cup back in November. His next two efforts, also at Cheltenham, had resulted in disappointing fifth place finishes despite him flashing career-best figures on both occasions.

Little Josh had forged a solid partnership with the trainer’s son Sam Twiston-Davies and was pointed at both the Ryanair Chase and the Aintree Grand National in April.