Jackdaws Castle is closed for business. That's the message from Jonjo O'Neill, who is shutting up shop for the foreseeable future as a bug has laid low some of his top jumping stars.

He is likely to have just one runner over the busy three-day Christmas racing period, when 13 meetings are scheduled to take place.

Though Quazar is engaged in the Stan James Feltham Novices' Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, O'Neill has no other runners and does not plan to have any until the 100-plus box yard is free from the bug.

The Gloucestershire stable's top three-mile chaser, Keen Leader, will miss a clash with three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate at Leopardstown.

O'Neill confirmed: ''He's been below par. A few of them have been, so we decided to wait with him.''

O'Neill, who made a fast start to the jumps season, has sent out 90 winners from the Temple Guiting yard so far but has had a 14-runner barren spell since Good Judgement and Campaign Trail landed a double at Towcester on December 13.

''It's bitterly frustrating,'' said O'Neill. ''We are going to have a quiet time of it until the sickness clears up.

''A few are not right, not giving us the right signs and haven't scoped well. They are just not firing.

''We'll have a quiet Christmas - we have no choice, really. I suppose it gives me a chance to see the family and though it will be nice to spend a bit of time with the boys, it has been forced upon us.

''There is simply no point in running horses that are below par. It is not fair to them, the owners or to the public.

''We have to try and get rid of the sickness and hopefully that won't take too long. There were just too many horses not pleasing me.

''About six weeks ago, there were a few that came down with sickness. They scoped badly, but then they recovered and started to come back to themselves. We thought we were over it, but more have gone down with it since and we have had a job trying to shake it off.''

O'Neill has overseen a massive cleaning operation at Jackdaws Castle in the past two days and hopes that the stable, owned by JP McManus, will soon be back on track.

''Though these things happen, it is very frustrating for everyone concerned. There is nothing you can do but try your best to ensure that we do our best to get rid of the problem,'' he added.

''I was pleased for AP (McCoy) yesterday when he had three winners at Fontwell, but it is frustrating for him as well. We understand that. He wants to have winners - we all do - and you especially want to have winners on the big days, like over Christmas. But we will bide our time.

''At least we can try and look on the bright side and say they will be fresh horses when they come back to themselves. Let's hope so, anyway.''