RACING: The connections of Davids Lad were last night considering an appeal to the High Court after their appeals to the Turf Club were dismissed.

Davids Lad, who had been second favourite for the Grand National, will now miss the Aintree race after the Appeals and Referrals Committee stood by the decision of the Naas stewards nine days ago.

On that occasion Davids Lad was banned from racing for 42 days, trainer Tony Martin was fined €1,000 and jockey Timmy Martin received a seven-day suspension after the stewards decided the racecourse had been used as a training ground.

After yesterday's marathon session that lasted almost five hours at the Curragh, Martin, Murphy and the owners of the horse last night emerged to express their disappointment at the appeals committee decision.

"I'm very disappointed. A lot of evidence was put forward about the problems the horse has had in heavy ground. I don't know what we will do now. We will have to get further advice," Martin said.

Solicitor Andrew Coonan commented: "We will consider everything. Room to manoeuvre is closed to us in racing. We will go away and consider the decision."

Just two years ago, Michael Kinane's appeal against a suspension that ruled him out of the King George ride on Galileo was turned down but the jockey successfully secured a High Court injunction that allowed him ride the horse.

The Appeals Committee initially dismissed the appeals against the penalties imposed by the Naas stewards. When the hearings resumed, appeals against the severity of the penalties were also turned down.

Davids Lad, a fourth-last fence faller in the National last year, was the 2001 Irish Grand National winner and had been substantially backed to add the Aintree crown next month.

The 42-day ban ruled him out of the National by just one day but after last night's events, the horse's suspension begins today.