Racing: Papillon retired from National duty

The luck of the Irish appears to have been wholly exhausted at last week's Cheltenham Festival with the news that two of the leading Hibernian lights for the Grand National will miss the race.

Papillon, the millennium winner over the Aintree spruces, is now an ex-racehorse following Ted Walsh's decision to retire the 12-year-old. In addition, Davids Lad has found the legal route to get into the race, after being saddled with a 42-day ban, as problematic as Aintree itself. Dublin's High Court yesterday refused to lift the suspension. A glimmer remains in an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Papillon, though, has definitely gone following a lacklustre display over hurdles at Punchestown on Saturday. He will be remembered for better than that. "Because I couldn't be sure he would run his race at Aintree I've spoken to the owner, Betty Moran, and she's quite happy about the decision to retire the horse," Walsh said.

Davids Lad was a prospective winner of last year's National when he capsized four out. The intention was to run him again, and the preparation was partly conducted in a chase at Naas last month. He finished last in that contest and the stewards did not like what they saw. Their judgement was that the racecourse had been used as a training ground for Tony Martin's gelding. The trainer was fined €1,000, jockey Timmy Murphy banned for seven days and the horse banned for a period which will end the day after Aintree.

Davids Lad's National now appears to be the Irish version, at Fairyhouse on 21 April.