Tubber’s Cheltenham-winning jockey Derek O Connor will be forced to sit out the Festival this year due to UK travel rules.
Amateur riders have been prevented from crossing the water to compete under rules since January, and it’s understood that will remain in place throughout March when the Festival takes place.
O Connor has four Cheltenham winners to his name, including two winners at the 2011 event.
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The Festival gets underway on March 16th and runs for four days, with the Gold Cup feature taking place on Friday, March 19th.