Trainer Willie Mullins was dealt a double blow on Sunday with the news that his top chaser Vautour had to be put down following an accident on the gallops.

The news broke on the same day that stable companion Avant Tout was fatally injured after pulling up in his Hennessy prep run at Naas.

Vautour won a race at the last three Cheltenham Festivals - the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the JLT Novices' Chase and the Ryanair Chase. He was beaten narrowly in the King George VI Chase at Kempton last Christmas and was being aimed at that race again this term. The seven-year-old was put down after breaking a foreleg over the weekend.

Mullins reported: "It's been a lovely, dry day here and Vautour was out in the paddock with his usual companion Shaneshill. One of the girls went out to feed him. There didn't appear to be anything untoward as Shaneshill was grazing away, but Vautour was found to have broken his foreleg." said Mullins.

"He goes out there every day and it's just a freak accident. It's tough to take."

Vautour won 10 of his 16 starts overall, including five Grade 1s, and was last seen finishing second at the Boylesports Champion Chase at Punchestown in April.

Avant Tout, a winner at the Punchestown Festival for the last two years, was a leading contender for the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury and was having a prep run for the showpiece event in three weeks' time in this two-mile contest.

However, he jumped awkwardly at the first fence and was swiftly pulled up by Paul Townend.

Steve Massey, racing manager for owners the Supreme Horse Racing Club, said: "We are devastated to say Avant Tout suffered a fatal injury.

"It is hard to take and thoughts are with his owners and Rachel who looked after him."

Victory in the Grade 3 event went to Gordon Elliott's Tell Us More.

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