Lord Lariat's withdrawal from big race underlines the fortunes and misfortunes of sport

Hopes of Meath trainer Dermot McLoughlin chalking up a remarkable hat-trick of Irish Grand National winners on Easter Monday have been delivered a knock out blow.

Lord Lariat, who won the famous race for McLoughlin last year, is ruled out of this year's extravaganza because of injury.

It shows how in high level sport fortunes can change quickly.

Lord Lariat had been 10-1 second favourite with the sponsors prior to final declarations, but his name did not appear among the final field of 30.

McLoughlin outlined how the famous horse is affected by "a suspensory issue."

He expalined: "He worked last Saturday and everything went great. We were delighted with him but we felt his leg on Wednesday and decided to get it checked. I thought it was going to be something of nothing but the vet came in on Friday night and said it hadn't cleared up so we can't run."

In further elaborating on the injury McLoughlin added: "It's nothing too serious at all, but we'll have to sort it and he will need time to recover so you won't see him in the Scottish National or again this season. He'll be back next season, though, and we'll look forward to that."

If Lord Lariat won won this year's race he would have been first horse to win back-to-back renewals of the famous steeplechase since Brown Lad in 1975 and 1976 and it would also have ensured McLoughlin was the first trainer in almost 50 years to win three successive Irish Grand Nationals. The trainer, based close to Fairyhouse, also took the 2021 renewal with Freewheelin Dylan.

Now, however, the Lord is ruled out of the race and we can only speculate on what would have happened if the horse had been fit enough to take part.