Ryanair boss and Tiger Roll owner Michael O'Leary has pulled the gelding out of this year's Aintree Grand National steeplechase, describing as 'idiotic' the handicapper's assessment of the horse.
Tiger Roll won off a mark of 150 in 2018 and 159 in 2019, carrying 10st 13lb and 11st 5lb respectively. He did not run last year after being given a rating of 166.
Having been allotted 11st 4lb this time, connections were again aggrieved as they felt it would prove an uphill battle for the horse at the age of 12 to produce a record-equalling third Grand National win under those conditions.
But owner Michael O'Leary announced that the record-chasing horse will be removed from the upcoming race before he launched a scathing attack on the British handicapper.
He told The Racing Post: "Tiger Roll is now 12 years old. He is clearly not as good as he was at 8 or 9, and yet the UK handicapper now rates him 2lbs higher than his 159 rating in April 2019, when he won both the Boyne Hurdle and the Aintree Grand National.
"This rating is absurd, and unfair on a 12-year-old chaser. It is a pity that the Handicapper won't give Tiger Roll either a fair rating, or a fair weight in the Aintree Grand National, where he could at least try to emulate Red Rum's 3 Grand National wins."
O'Leary continued to explain the logic behind the decision from all parties not to race the horse and described as 'idiotic' the opinion of the Handicapper in question.
He continued: "Since the top 2 horses in the Handicap won't run in Aintree this year, Tiger Roll will have to carry either 11s 8lbs, or 11s 9lbs at the age of 12, which is 3 years after he carried 11s 5lbs at the age of 9 to win the great race in April 2019.
"Since we are responsible for the welfare of Tiger Roll, we must protect him from the idiotic opinion of this Handicapper.
"We therefore regret to announce that he will not run in this year's Aintree Grand National.
"Instead Tiger Roll will be trained for the Cross Country Race in Cheltenham, and there is every likelihood that win, lose or draw, this will be his last racecourse appearance."
O'Leary then took a further pop at the Handicapper, accusing them of not wanting Tiger Roll to participate in the race.
"It's sadly clear from his ratings that this Handicapper doesn't want Tiger Roll to run in this year's Grand National, he won't give him a fair chance, and sadly, the race will be the poorer for his absence."
The Gordon Elliott-trained gelding became the first horse since Red Rum in 1973-74 to win consecutive Grand Nationals when he was victorious in 2018 and 2019.
The withdrawal of Tiger Roll comes shortly after the speculation had begun over the horse's participation in the race, with trainer Elliott even predicting the Grand National 'could be on the agenda'.
However, O'Leary's statement has all but ended the will-he-won't-he and Tiger Roll will not be involved at Aintree this year.
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