Sean Curran’s Hatford stables, near Stanford-in-the-Vale, have suffered a major blow with Scottish Grand National hero Iris De Balme facing at least a year on the sidelines with a tendon injury.
Curran was eyeing top prizes such as the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Aintree Grand National for his stable star this season.
"The vet came to look at Iris De Balme and found that there were shadows on his tendons and he thinks it was something he picked up from his races last season," he said.
"We had been looking at the Hennessy, but all plans are on hold now and I would say he is out for a year at least.
"It's a bit gutting as we thought he could be a National horse. He's a nine-year-old at the turn of the year, so we will see, but the problem is, it's tenterhooks all the way from now.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here