CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL star Tiger Roll could yet run at Aintree during the Grand National meeting.
But sadly it won’t be in the big race itself.
Owner Michael O’Leary – of Ryanair fame – took his star out after a barney over the weight given to his two-time Aintree champ for this season.
But after Tiger Roll bounced back in style to win his FIFTH race at the Festival yesterday, his decision has come back to bite.
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But O’Leary is still insistent he made the right call, while admitting Tiger Roll could still be set for Liverpool.
His brother and racing manager Eddie O’Leary told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “He seemed to jump off with a big smile on his face and as the race went on, he seemed to get better and better.
“Without getting too mad about him, I don’t think there’s been too many like him. Before this race came along, he kind of chucked racing. It was an amazing training performance by Gordon to get him back, and an amazing training performance by all at Cullentra to get him there yesterday in that kind of shape.
“Because he is what he is there are no races for him, and because of the famous handicap mark he has, there are no opportunities to get it down. He doesn’t really run on conventional tracks.
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“We’ve absolutely no regrets about taking him out of the National as his rating is just too high. We’re probably going to have to run him at a park track, we’re even considering the Betway Bowl at Aintree.
“The way the horse won yesterday, retirement is off the table – he’s loving life and while he is we’ll listen to him.
“He’ll probably go for the Bowl and unfortunately he’ll prove he’s not that (166 rated), unless he is and then he’ll prove us all completely wrong.
“The Tiger we saw yesterday, you’d have to give him 10 out of 10, which is a testament to all at Cullentra.”
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