Summary:
One of last season's leading chasers faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a hip injury.

Full article:
Sire De Grugy is out of next month’s Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and his whole season hangs by a thread after a bone scan on Wednesday revealed a hip problem. While no hairline fractures were detected, trainer Gary Moore has been left unsure how long his gelding, who won four grade one chases last season, including the Tingle Creek and Queen Mother Champion Chase, will be sidelined. Moore said: ‘He's not fractured his pelvis or suffered a stress fracture or anything, but he does have a hot area in his hip. He's done some damage to his hip and I don't know if that's good or bad really. Jamie Moore rides Sire de Grugy to victory in the BetVictor Queen Mother Champion chase in November . Trainer Gary Moore is unsure how long his star gelding will be sidelined . 'What happens now is that he spends the next month on the walker and then he will be rescanned. 'It's not the worst case scenario, but it's hard to tell the extent of the damage and we've never had anything like this happen before. 'He definitely won't be running in the Tingle Creek though and he won't run again this year.’ With the return of Nicky Henderson’s 2013 Champion Chaser Sprinter Sacre still not confirmed, just who will line up in the Tingle Creek Chase remains a big question. Barry Geraghty and Sprinter Sacre clear the last to win the the John Smith's melling Steeple Chase at Aintree .