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Grand National Meeting 4th
- 6th April 2013 |
grand national 2013 / entries /
Prince De Beauchene Misses Grand National Again
27/03/13
The much fancied Prince De Beauchene is to be withdrawn from the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree on April 6.
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Prince De Beauchene had been a major gamble for the race last year from 33/1 down to 12/1 before injury ruled him out of the contest, and he was again well supported in ante post lists from 16/1 down to his price last night of 10/1, before the news broke that he would miss the race again.
Trainer Willie Mullins has reported that the 10-year-old is suffering from a stress fracture in his ilium and will miss the race for the second year running after a hip problem also saw him sidelined in 2012.
Mullins told www.wpmullins.com: "We have had some bad news about Prince De Beauchene. He had not been striding out for the last few days and following a bone scan at Troytown Veterinary Hospital, it has been confirmed he has a minor stress fracture in his ilium."
He added: "He will require at least six weeks box rest, so unfortunately he will miss the Aintree Grand National."
Mullins and Prince De Beauchene's owner Graham Wylie still have ante-post favourite On His Own in the National field.
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Winner of the 2011 Scottish National for Welsh trainer Tim Vaughan, the 11-year-old has not been seen in competitive action since finishing fifth in the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup, having been sidelined with a tendon injury.
Vaughan had been carefully preparing Beshabar for the National on April 6, but a fetlock problem means he will not be making the trip to Merseyside.
"It is with regret that I have to inform everyone that our Grand National hope Beshabar was found to have heat in a front fetlock joint this morning," the Vale Of Glamorgan handler told his website.
"Following discussions with our vet, Tim Beauregard, we have taken the decision to take Beshabar out of training and he will therefore be scratched from the Grand National."
Vaughan is unsure whether Beshabar, who had been around the 25-1 mark, will return to training next season.
He went on: "We will now give him a summer at grass before making any decisions as to whether we try to bring him back to the racecourse in 2013-14.
"However, he owes us absolutely nothing and we will seek plenty of professional advice and will need to be extremely confident that he can stand training if he is to be brought back next season."
Vaughan is still set to be represented in the Grand National with Saint Are. He was a winner over the conventional fences at Aintree on National day last year, but needs to bounce back from a disappointing display in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this month.
The trainer said: "We'll keep an eye on the ground for him, as he doesn't want it bottomless, but the intention is to run. We're going to school him over a National fence we've got here a couple of times this week."
