Rum to miss National

Another Rum will miss Saturday’s John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree with connections favouring a crack at the Scottish equivalent.

The eight-year-old’s preparation for the four-and-a-half-mile marathon has been interrupted by the recent spell of bad weather with trainer Ian Duncan unable to get in some valuable work at his County Antrim base in Northern Ireland.

“We don’t run on Saturday and we will go for the Scottish National (on April 22) instead,” he said.

“The horse is fine and in good form but not quite 100% at present as we’ve really been hampered by the weather.

“We were going to work him at Downpatrick racecourse this morning but we couldn’t do that as the track is waterlogged.

“It’s been very wet over here and difficult to get the work into him so I don’t think he will be suited by Aintree this year and we will go to Ayr.”

Another Rum had been as low as 33-1 with Paddy Power for the Aintree event.