Grand National winner One For Arthur will miss the rest of this season due to injury.
The eight-year-old gelding, trained by Lucinda Russell, stormed to victory in the 2017 Randox Health Grand National under Derek Fox.
But he will not return to defend his title at the 2018 race.
Lucinda revealed the sad news on her website this morning (5 October).
“One For Arthur has been monitored and scanned since the Aintree Grand National and yesterday, after his first piece of work, he was found to have disrupted fibres in his right fore superficial flexor tendon,” she said. “He will miss the rest of this season.”
She added the horse’s Grand National win has “changed our lives”.
One For Arthur leads over the last and wins the 2017 Randox Health Grand National
“We are eternally grateful to him,” she said.
“Arthur’s welfare comes first and his rehabilitation will be tailored to bring him back for the Grand National in 2019.
“[His owners] The Two Golf Widows, Deborah and Belinda, have taken ‘triumph and disaster’ in an impeccable manner, and they, like us, would like to thank all of Arthur’s supporters and wish him a speedy return to full health and the racecourse.”
Watch Lucinda reflect on One For Arthur’s victory at his homecoming in April
One For Arthur’s 14-1 victory was just the second time a Scottish-trained horse has won the Grand National. The last horse from Scotland to win the iconic race was Rubstic in 1979.
Lucinda, who trains near Kinross, became the fourth female trainer to win the world-famous steeplechase.
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“I am so proud of the horse. He jumped fantastically and I thought Derek gave him a great ride. He has done us proud, he has done Scotland proud and he has done everyone at the yard proud,” Lucinda said at the time.
“I always say that it’s fine, I am the figurehead and I am saying what is going on, but actually it is everyone back home who has done so much, from the farrier to our vet. We have got a fantastic team behind us and it is great — long may it continue.”
The 2017 race was both the horse’s and the jockey’s first Grand National attempt.
Derek had returned to race-riding days ahead of the big race following an injury and credited the Injured Jockeys Fund’s rehabilitation centre, Jack Berry House, for getting him back in the saddle.
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