GRANDOUET will undergo investigative surgery in Newbury on Tuesday night for a problem with his near-hind leg that prevented him from running at Wincanton last weekend.
Trainer Nicky Henderson told racingpost.com that he is "guarded" over Grandouet's chance of running in the Stan James Champion Hurdle, for which he is a top-priced 9-1.
Henderson said: "The plan is to flush the joint tonight and that should give us a clearer idea of the full extent of the injury. We'll know a lot more in the morning about whether he'll be able to run at Cheltenham. I'll keep everyone informed."