RACING: Ruby Walsh will ride Exit To Wave in Saturday's Martell Grand National after former ante-post favourite Rince Rí was ruled out of the big race yesterday.
The former champion jockey switched to the Paul Nicholls horse after Rince Rí worked badly over the weekend.
"He worked moderately and scoped badly so he is not running," trainer Ted Walsh said yesterday.
It is a blow to the Walsh camp who won the National with Papillon in 2000 but Walsh Jnr will team up with Exit To Wave, who ran behind the Martin Pipe horse Juracon at Haydock last time out.
The Willie Mullins-trained Hedgehunter tops the ante-post betting and the trainer is confident the market topper will relish the marathon four-and-a-half-mile distance.
"If you can win over three miles at Gowran Park in the soft then you do stay," he said of his Thyestes Chase winner.
"When he was fourth in the Hennessy it was his first start of the season and he blew up a bit. In the Welsh National he was always doing just that little bit too much behind horses," added Mullins, who also runs Alexander Banquet.
Irish-trained horses have won three of the last renewals of the world's most famous steeplechase and the raiding team this year will include David's Lad.
Christy Roche is planning to run the JP McManus-owned pair, Le Coudray and Risk Accessor, with the Champion Hurdle winning jockey Conor O'Dwyer on Le Coudray.
Noel Meade has described the Gold Cup third Harbour Pilot as an "unlikely" starter in Thursday's Martell Cup despite having been left in the race. The Heinken Gold Cup at Punchestown remains a likely option.
