- Jonjo O’Neill-trained horse is owned by Mone and husband Doug Barrowman
- Monbeg Genius is not one of the assets frozen during £200m PPE investigation
- Just six of steeplechase’s runners are British-trained, including Corach Rambler
A source of potential embarrassment for racing has been removed with Monbeg Genius among 22 horses scratched from the Randox Grand National at yesterday’s latest forfeit stage.
The Jonjo O’Neill-trained gelding is owned by Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman, who have had a restraint order placed on some of their assets during an investigation into a £200million contract to supply PPE to the NHS during Covid pandemic.
Monbeg Genius was not among the frozen assets and the sport feared a public backlash if the gelding had won the £1m steeplechase on April 13. The eight-year-old looked a big player after his third in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November but he had run poorly more recently in starts at Kelso and the Cheltenham Festival.
As expected Shark Hanlon has pulled out top weight Hewick, the King George VI Chase winner, and Paul Nicholls has scratched Threeunderthrufive, who is being aimed at Sandown’s Bet365 Gold Cup.
Dan Skelton-trained mare Galia Des Liteaux now occupies the No 34 berth of the last runner guaranteed a start in the reduced field size in operation this year.
A potential relief for racing comes as Monbeg Genius is scratched from the Grand National
The gelding is owned by Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman (pictured at Cheltenham in 2019)
Only six of the horses guaranteed a start at Aintree are British-trained – including last year’s winner Corach Rambler
Well-backed Martin Brassil-trained 12-1 shot Panda Boy is No 35, needing one drop-out to get a run.
Only six of the 34 guaranteed starters are British-trained but they include last year’s Lucinda Russell-trained winner Corach Rambler, the 5-1 favourite.
