Huge Grand National Festival favourite and Cheltenham superstar removed from race

HUGE Grand National Festival favourite Myretown has been scratched from his race.

The Lucinda Russell-trained chaser was a devastating winner of the Ultima Handicap Chase at last month’s Cheltenham Festival.

Cheltenham hero and huge Aintree favourite Myretown is outSportsfile

The eight-year-old gelding landed a gamble that day, scooting 11 lengths clear in what on paper looked a fiercely competitive renewal.

Myretown was around 11-4 favourite for Saturday’s William Hill Handicap Chase at Aintree – due off at 2.30pm on Grand National day, 90 minutes before the big one.

But he has been pulled from the race – although the reason why was not immediately clear.

Myretown was due to be ridden by Patrick Wadge again, the man in the saddle for the Festival rout.

He’ll no doubt be gutted to miss out on the ride given his only other on the day is on 150-1 Moon Phases.

The Russell-trained runner is rank outsider for the Grade 1 Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, where Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba is market leader.

Myretown drew comparisons to Russell’s Grand National hero Corach Rambler following his Ultima win.

Corach Rambler did the Ultima-Grand National double in 2023.

Speaking after victory at Cheltenham, the handler said: “We knew that if Myretown jumped round, he was phenomenally well-handicapped.

“I just didn’t know if he was going to be man enough, and it’s very exciting that he is.

“He’s a novice horse, his jumping has been a bit hit and miss, he turned upside down at Windsor, but since then we ran him at Kelso and he’s got his confidence back.

“He’s a bit different to Corach Rambler – he jumps so exuberantly.

“Corach is just a different sort of horse, but this is a phenomenal horse.”

The William Hill Handicap Chase market has had a rejig with Myretown’s omission.

Imperial Saint, trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White now shares 13-2 favouritism with Richard Hobson’s Docpickedme.

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