Ben Pauling’s Willoughby Court to miss Aintree
Pauling's seven-year-old, a previous Cheltenham Festival winner, missed this year's showpiece meeting with a foot problem and has failed to recover in time for Aintree.
WILLOUGHBY COURT has run out of time in his fitness battle to make the Aintree Festival.
Ben Pauling's seven-year-old missed the Cheltenham Festival due to a setback and although the trainer had hoped to get his promising novice chaser ready to return at the Merseyside course next month, he has conceded defeat in that quest.
Willoughby Court provided Pauling's first Cheltenham Festival success last year and had been one of the leading hopes for the JLT Novices' Chase.
However, a foot problem saw him ruled out of the showpiece fixture at the end of February, and Pauling said: "He won't go to Aintree, as he has missed too much work.
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"He is back in the yard and is absolutely A1, but he has missed too much work and we would be chasing our tails to get him ready.
"He will be having an early enough summer and we will just concentrate on getting him ready for next season.
Templegate's Treble
NAP 3.25 Carlisle - Tonto's Spirit: 'Ran well when third over this sort of trip on Boxing Day and I'm expecting him to be hard to pass'
NEXT BEST 4.10 Doncaster - Royal Line: 'Won his first two starts and although he found the November handicap too much for him, I'm confident he will be better this season'
TREBLE 5.55 Doncaster - Leonidas: 'Ran his best race when upped to 1m4f on his last start and could improve for the switch to Keith Dalgleish'
"Thanks have got to go to Paul and Clare Rooney (owners), who have been really patient with the horse."