Blaklion to miss the Grand National through a back injury

Blaklion will miss next Saturday’s Grand National because of a back injury, scuppering the hopes of new owner Darren Yates and wife Annaley having a runner in the £1million race.

Yates paid £300,000 for Blaklion, fourth in 2017 but who was brought down at the first fence last year, and switched the gelding from the Nigel Twiston-Davies stable to Yorkshire trainer Phil Kirby.

Businessman Yates, who won over £500,000 for a £67.58 stake backing Frankie Dettori’s Magnificent Seven Ascot winners in 1996, has South Seas in Saturday’s Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster.

Blaklion will miss next Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree because of a back injury

Kirby said: ‘Blaklion has got a back joint problem and he won’t be running next week. I’m disappointed, the owners really wanted to have a National runner and we’ve done everything we can to get him there in one piece. It’s not something that will stop him forever, but most likely for this season.’

Meanwhile, trainer Nicky Henderson has declared dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air for Thursday’s Grade One Aintree Hurdle. 

The gelding fell at the Cheltenham Festival when going for a hat-trick of Champion Hurdle wins.

However Henderson has decided not to run Altior in Friday’s two and a half mile Melling Chase, saying the gelding needs more time to get over his Cheltenham Festival exertions when he won the Champion Chase for a second time and made it a record-equalling 18 consecutive wins over obstacles.

Altior could try to make it 19 wins in a row in the Celebration Chase at Sandown on April 27.

Darren Yates paid £300,000 for Blaklion, who was brought down at the first fence last year