Racing: Ante-post punters suffered a blow on Monday as the well-fancied War Of Attrition was ruled out of Saturday's John Smith's Grand National at Aintree. The 10-year-old was as low as 12-1 and had been the subject of a gamble for the four-and-a-half-mile marathon.
However, trainer Mouse Morris has decided not to run as he is not totally satisfied with the gelding and he will now rely on Hear The Echo.
He told the Racing Post: "We weren't 100 per cent happy with War Of Attrition this morning and we've decided against sending him to Aintree.
"Hear The Echo is 110 per cent and he will be our runner in the National."
War Of Attrition was set to shoulder 11st 9lb in the National with the Donald McCain-trained Cloudy Lane due to carry top weight of 11st 10lb.
Should he win, it would be the best weight-carrying performance since the Aintree legend Red Rum's record third success in 1977.
Red Rum, trained by McCain's father Ginger, had even won the race with 12st in 1974 when he was nine, the same age as Cloudy Lane.
McCain, however, had been prepared for Cloudy Lane to head the handicap with the expected withdrawals of Snoopy Loopy and Nozic.
"I knew it was happening so we just have to get on with it," said the Cholmondeley trainer. "There's nothing we can do and the horse is very well.
"He had a racecourse spin the other day at Bangor after racing and he was grand. He and Idle Talk went round and did it really well. It was very good of the racecourse. They both enjoyed themselves and are in great nick."
Cloudy Lane was sixth to Comply Or Die last year when 7-1 joint favourite with the eventual winner. He is currently a 33-1 chance this time.
"Cloudy Lane has been round there before and last year it was only his second season over fences. He's got more experience now and in good races," McCain remarked.
Idle Talk is right at the bottom end of the handicap on 10st 5lb and McCain is hopeful of his chances. Like Cloudy Lane, he got round last year but was only 14th of the 15 finishers.
"This has been the plan all year for him and he was more of a disappointment last year than Cloudy Lane," admitted McCain. "I expected him to finish really strongly and he didn't.
"He's run a couple of nice races this season and his prep in the Grimthorpe at Doncaster was a real solid run and I think he goes there with a good each-way chance.
"He's good horse, he's been second in a SunAlliance and fourth in the Scottish National. He's been in the race twice now and it was only the ground that beat him when he was fourth in the Becher Chase earlier in the season."
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has yet to saddle a National winner but looks to have probably his best chance to date with a four-strong team - My Will, Eurotrek, Big Fella Thanks and Cornish Sett.
Ante-post favourite My Will is the choice of jockey Ruby Walsh, who is already a two-time winner with Papillon (2000) and Hedgehunter (2005) and is now as low as 7-1 favourite with Ladbrokes.
"I've had a fair few sleepless nights over this one but I've finally decided to go with My Will," Walsh told the Guardian. "Last week I was trying to pick my way through seven possible rides because, at the National, so much depends on the weather and the going.
"I've been watching the weather forecast closely and it looks like it's going to be pretty good. So I've gone for My Will."
Evan Williams believes he has State Of Play back to his best as he prepares the 2006 Hennessy winner for the National. The nine-year-old has been kept fresh for the race by Williams, winning the Charlie Hall Chase on his seasonal bow in November before returning to Wetherby to finish fourth on Boxing Day.
"The Grand National has always been my target as it is one of these big handicaps during the spring. He has to be fresh and that's why he hasn't run since Christmas," said Williams. "It was only when the weights came out that I talked to Mr and Mrs Rucker (owners) and said that it looked the ideal race for him.
"Mrs Rucker hadn't set her heart on running in the race, but he is very, very well and as good as I've ever had him and it's like training a different animal when he's fresh.
"The ground makes no odds as he has form on easy ground and faster ground and he goes on anything.
"It's not the ground - having him fresh and in the right frame of mind is the most important thing."
Last year's winner Comply Or Die was among 74 horses left in the big race and David Pipe's runner will attempt to become the first horse since Red Rum (1973 and '74) to land back-to-back victories.
The going on the National course is described as good, good to soft in places.