Carlingford Lough misses out on Aintree

Carlingford Lough, joint-top weight for the Crabbie’s Grand National, has been ruled out of the Aintree centrepiece on April 11.

The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old claimed the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on his penultimate start, but failed to provide Tony McCoy with a final Cheltenham Gold Cup success, finishing ninth behind Coneygree.

John Kiely’s charge jointly heads the weights for the National, along with last year’s Gold Cup hero Lord Windermere, but he will not be heading to Merseyside.