Double Grand National hero Tiger Roll will not be running in this year’s renewal of the race after his owners said the horse had been given an ‘unfair weight’.
The 11-year-old horse became the first to win back to back nationals since Red Rum, winning in 2018 and 2019.
He did not have the chance to make it a historic hat-trick with the race being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Owners Gigginstown Stud made the decision to remove the horse from the race on Tuesday’s forfeit stage.
Tiger Roll would be carrying 11st 9lbs this year which is 10lbs more than his 2018 win and 4lbs more than his 2019 win.
Tiger Roll’s weight to carry this year is also only one pound off the top weight being carried by Bristol de Mai, Easyland and Santini.
In a statement from Gigginstown Stud they said: “We made clear that if Tiger Roll was rated ‘in the 150s’ (ie. where he was two years ago), which is what his form and age now warrants, he would be allowed to run this year’s National and go for a historic ‘three in a row’.
“However, the handicapper has decided to rate him on his reputation rather than his form – which we fully accept is his prerogative – but we have a duty of care to Tiger, and so we will not ask him to carry an unfair weight burden especially as he gets older and his form declines.
“We hope he will run next as planned in the cross-country race at Cheltenham, where we hope he will enjoy himself and run well.”
The news came off the back of the BHA announcing that Gigginstown Stud Irish Champion trainer, Gordon Elliott, received a temporary ban after a picture of him sitting on a dead horse was being circulated on social media.
