Tiger Roll’s trainer Gordon Elliott has backed the decision to cancel the Grand National and says the horse will be aimed at a third victory next year.
The big race at Aintree on 4 April was called off because of coronavirus.
Tiger Roll had been favourite to become the first horse to win the National three years running.
“It is disappointing but everyone has to do what’s right to get everything back on track. We’re all on the one team, you know,” he told Radio 4.
Red Rum won the National three times in the 1970s, but no horse has completed the hat-trick in consecutive runnings.
Asked about next year, Elliott said: “There is every chance of him competing and he hasn’t got that many miles on the clock, and we will be training him back for the Grand National again.”
Tiger Roll, owned by Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, was still on course to run next month despite being allocated top weight and being beaten into second place by Easysland in the Cross Country Chase at last week’s Cheltenham Festival.
“He’s in good form and he was all set for the National but unfortunately we’re only one of 40 horses. And so we’ve just got to keep going,” said the Irish trainer.
Tiger Roll, who has won both Nationals under jockey Davy Russell, will be 11 next year and while no horse that age has won since Pineau De Re in 2014, he was the third consecutive 11-year-old to win.
“You’re training horses day by day, never mind year by year, so I’ll be taking things day by day and there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge by then,” said Elliott, who also won the National with Silver Birch in 2007.
“This is the Grand National, how can you be confident of victory, but we like to have a few runners in the race and we were really looking forward to it.
“From Rose Paterson, the chairman of Aintree, to everyone underneath her, they all have to make the right decision and we’ll be backing them up 100 per cent
“Listen – all we can do it dream so you never know what might happen.”
