Tiger Roll to miss 2021 Grand National

Tiger Roll has been withdrawn from this year’s Grand National due to an “unfair weight burden”, owners Gigginstown House Stud have confirmed.

The 11-year-old, a two-time winner of the world-famous race, was due to carry 11st 9lbs when bidding for a hat-trick in April, 7lbs more than when he last won the race at Aintree in 2019.

Gordon Elliott‘s charge had been given a handicap mark of 166; something Gigginstown claim does not reflect his “obvious decline”.

Since his last Grand National success, Tiger Roll has not won with the fan favourite racing a further five times.

The 2018 and 2019 Grand National winner finished last during a six-runner race at Navan last month, while the son of Swiss Roll was pulled up at Cheltenham in November, with Kingswell Theatre going on to win the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase.

Confirming their decision, a Gigginstown spokesperson said: “The horse is now 11 years old. He was beaten by 17 lengths in last year’s Cheltenham Cross Country and by 75 lengths in last month’s Boyne Hurdle, so his form over an extended 2-year period suggests he is clearly not as good as he was when he won the National in April 2019.

“Despite this pretty obvious decline, the handicapper has given him a mark of 166, which is 7 pounds higher than when he won his 2nd Grand National in April 2019.

“We made it clear that if Tiger Roll was rated in the 150s, which is what his form and age now warrants, he would be allowed to run this year’s National and go for a historic 3 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.”