'Sore' Clan Royal finished for the season

Clan Royal will not run again this season after emerging from the John Smith’s Grand National with a few battle scars.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained 11-year-old made a bad mistake at the 19th fence but still managed to take third behind Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde.

The JP McManus-owned gelding, who finished second in the race in 2004 and was carried out when travelling well 12 months ago, returned to the winner’s enclosure with cuts and pulled out sore this morning.

“The horse is sore but he is fine and will be OK,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“He had a nasty cut underneath on his tummy but will live to fight another day. He ran a blinder and from looking like he was only going to be fourth or fifth he fought back to get third, so it was a great performance and that will be it for the season now.”

McManus had a total of four runners in the race, with Risk Accessor fairing best of the rest when putting some disappointing efforts behind him to finish fifth.