Willie Mullins pulls ‘tremendous’ Cheltenham winner with ‘potential to run in the Gold Cup’ out of Grand National

WILLIE MULLINS has pulled a ‘tremendous' Cheltenham winner out of the Grand National.

The Closutton boss said Capodanno had the potential to be a future Gold Cup runner.

And the JP McManus-owned nine-year-old was going OK in last year's £1million Aintree race before running out of steam.

He had been entered in this year's Grand National again after a decent return to action at Tramore in Ireland on New Year's Day.

And he followed that up with a very promising third behind big Grand National chance Nick Rockett and long-time ante-post fav Intense Raffles when last seen at Fairyhouse in February.

But Mullins has pulled the plug on his chances this year.

Capodanno, who has won almost £250,000 in prize money from 22 races, was one of nine Mullins left in the race for today's final scratchings stage.

Eight Mullins runners remain now Capodanno is gone.

He was considered a horse with Gold Cup potential after beating The Real Whacker to land the 2024 Cotswold Chase at the home of jumps.

But he was sent to the Ryanair that year where he finished seven lengths behind winner Protektorat.

Aintree came next, where he was sent off 28-1 under Keith Donoghue.

Capodanno stumbled badly at the second fence and hit the 22nd hard with his race basically being run before two out.

He has raced at Grade 1 and Grade 3 level since so is still considered a very decent chaser off a mark of 156.

But with general odds of 50-1 for this year's Grand National was always a longshot chance.

His scratching ahead of Thursday's final declarations means Mullins still has a formidable team.

Defending champ I Am Maximus is the most fancied at as big as 10-1 but will carry top weight 11st 12lbs.

Meetingofthewaters was the only Mullins picked out as the one he ‘really liked' when the weights were released and he is a 20-1 chance.

Mullins' son Patrick said he wants to ride Nick Rockett, who is also 20s, with Grangeclare West a touch bigger at 25s.

That's the same price as former bet365 Gold Cup winner Minella Cocooner.

Former Supreme winner Appreciate It can be backed at 80-1 while, although confirmed, it looks like Macdermott and Spanish Harlem will end up racing elsewhere.

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