Carlingford Lough to miss out '¨on National

The four-times Grade One winner had been quietly fancied for the great race, but he is instead likely to be preserved for the Punchestown Festival.

Frank Berry, racing manager for owner JP McManus, said: “Carlingford Lough will not run. He needs a bit more time and will probably go to Punchestown.”

Carlingford Lough, trained by John Kiely, was last seen finishing fourth to Don Cossack in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

His defection provides a glimmer of hope to Yorkshire jockey Henry Brooke whose intended ride Highland Lodge still needs 11 other horses to be withdrawn in order to make the 40-runner cut.

Today’s latest forfeit stage will be crucial.

As for Sue Smith’s Mr Moonshine ,who has twice run in the National, he will definitely not make the line-up this year and is instead entered in Friday’s Topham Chase over the Aintree fences.

He impressed jockey Danny Cook when finishing a hard-fought third on his last outing at Carlisle

The Topham field is headed by the Philip Hobbs-trained Village Vic who has been a revelation since winning the Bobby Renton Chase at Wetherby last October under Richard Johnson.