Rival to swerve Scottish run

Rival D'Estruval will not be asked to line up in the Scottish National at Ayr next month after his fall at the Cheltenham Festival.

After having bolted up at Kelso in early December, Northumberland trainer Pauline Robson decided to train her stable star specifically for the National Hunt Chase, even booking leading Irish amateur Derek O'Connor for the ride three months in advance.

The eight-year-old was there with every chance until he came to grief two fences from home.

While Rival D'Estruval could still head for the Scottish National meeting, connections are not keen on a crack at the big one.

Robson's partner and assistant, David Parker, said: "He's absolutely fine. He wasn't even sore, really. He's been ridden out for the last couple of days and is in good form.

"We don't know whether he would have won or not, but he was going to be there or thereabouts. We getting quite excited between the third-last and the second-last, and then we went a bit quiet.

"It was disappointing that he fell, but the main thing is both he and Derek got to their feet.

"We'll see how he is over the next week or two and let him tell us whether he wants to go again.

"He won't run in the Scottish National. We think it would be too much to ask him to run in two four-mile races so close together.

"Historically horses who have run well in the four-miler at Cheltenham have disappointed in the Scottish National and he was trained quite hard for the Cheltenham race.

"If he's in good form he could still go to Ayr as there is a three-mile novice handicap he's eligible for.

"Hopefully there is a decent staying chase in him at some stage and he could be an Aintree horse one day. At the moment, I think the Grand National is a realistic target."