Gallant Oscar Time ruled out of repeat Grand National mission

Connections of the brave Oscar Time, runner-up to Donald McCain’s Ballabriggs in last season’s John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree and one of the leading candidates for this year’s renewal of the marathon event, are coming to terms with the news that the Martin Lynch-trained gelding has sustained a leg injury and will not be seen again this campaign, writes Elliot Slater.

The news was broken by Sam Waley-Cohen, the amateur jockey who partnered his father’s horse into a famous second place having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup just three weeks earlier on the mighty Long Run. Announcing the news via Twitter, the jockey who is equally famous for being the man who brought Prince William and Kate Middleton together, expressed his complete shock at the news saying he was “gutted” at his prospective mount’s setback. Those looking at the best internet horse racing betting will have been disappointed by the news.

Although no details have been released as to the extent of the injury it was made clear that Lynch sees no prospect of the horse running again this term having had just one outing so far when fourth of five to the useful Zaidpour in a staying novice hurdle at Thurles in November. Oscar Time was being prepared for another crack at the Grand National after putting in a great performance to be the only horse to make a race of it with Ballabriggs in the closing stages of the four-and-a-half mile contest, run last year in unusually warm and stamina sapping conditions. He joined the eventual winner at the elbow but couldn’t manage to get past and had to settle for an honourable runner’s-up spot.

Bookmakers had priced the 2010 Irish Grand National runner-up as 16/1 co-favourite for this year’s Aintree spectacular with his old rival Ballabriggs and also with the talented dual purpose performer Junior.