Lady Rothschild and Newsells Park Stud's Nathaniel, one of England's top runners, will miss the Oct. 7 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I) due to a fever.
According to the Racing Post, trainer John Gosden reported the 3-1 second favorite for the Longchamp race would skip the event following an unsatisfactory blood test the morning of Oct. 1.
The 4-year-old Irish-bred son of Galileo won the July 7 Coral Eclipse (Eng-I) and most recently ran second in the Sept. 8 Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I). He additionally won last year's King Edward VII (Eng-I) and Betfair King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-I).
Bred in Ireland by Kincorth Investments, Nathaniel holds an overall record of 4-5-0 from 10 starts, for earnings of $2,111,398. He is out of the Silver Hawk mare Magnificent Style.
The Arc has lost a considerable amount of luster with the additional absence of last year's Arc winner Danedream, who will miss the race due to an outbreak of a serious equine disease in Cologne, Germany; and top European mare Snow Fairy, who will miss the remainder of the season due to heat in a foreleg.
A total of 18 horses were left in the Arc following the Oct. 1 confirmation stage but the recent scratches could lead to several supplementary entries Oct. 4.