Davids Lad decision due tomorrow

Connections of Davids Lad must wait until tomorrow to discover whether Ireland’s main fancy for the Martell Cognac Grand National will be allowed to run at Aintree next month.

The hearing at the High Court in Dublin over the 42-day suspension given to the Tony Martin-trained gelding by the Naas stewards, and upheld by the Irish Turf Club, has been adjourned until 11am tomorrow.

Irish Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan said: “Indications are that the case will finish tomorrow.”

The saga began when Davids Lad, owned by the four-strong Eddie Joe’s syndicate, finished last in the Paddy & Helen Cox Memorial Newlands Chase at Naas on February 23.

The stewards found the racecourse had been used as a training ground and that jockey Timmy Murphy had made insufficient effort aboard the horse.

Murphy was banned for seven days, Martin fined €1,000 and Davids Lad banned for 42 days.

The suspension is due to end on April 6, the day after the Grand National.

The horse’s owners took their case to court after their appeal against the suspension was turned down by the Turf Club’s Appeals & Referrals Committee.

The owners then successfully made an ex-parte application to the High Court for a stay on the decision which was then successfully challenged by the Turf Club.

That prevented Davids Lad from running at Cheltenham yesterday.