Racing: Ban rules Davids Lad out of National

Davids Lad, 14-1 second favourite for the Martell Grand National on 5 April, is likely to miss the race after being banned from racing for six weeks by the stewards at Naas yesterday. Trainer Tony Martin was fined £1000 and jockey Timmy Murphy banned for seven days after the stewards felt that they had used the racecourse as a training ground.

Davids Lad was last of the seven finishers behind Arctic Copper in the two-mile Paddy & Helen Cox Memorial Newlands Chase. Davids Lad's ban starts today and ends on 6 April while Murphy's ban is on days when there is racing in Ireland. Murphy, however, will be free to ride at the Cheltenham Festival.

The stewards considered that the racecourse had been used as a training ground and that the rider had made insufficient effort. Martin, who is thinking about an appeal, said: "I'll be consulting the owners and we are considering an appeal. Timmy should have been more forceful but I left it up to him as he knows the horse best."

Davids Lad was in with every chance when he fell four out in last year's National but if he misses Aintree then all bets placed on the horse would be lost, according to William Hill spokesman David Hood, who said: "He was 14-1 second favourite but we have removed him from the list."

Landing Light, runner-up to current Champion Hurdle third favourite Rooster Booster at Cheltenham in December, delighted trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Mick Fitzgerald in a workout after racing at Kempton on Saturday.

Fitzgerald, who rode Landing Light over two miles in company with Regal Exit, partnered by Andrew Thornton, said last night: "I was very, very pleased with him and the horse looked fantastic. He didn't gallop in blinkers, we're keeping those back for Cheltenham."

Henderson added: "Landing Light is in very good order and I was pleased with his work at Kempton. It was always the plan to give him a light season. He ran very well in the blinkers at Cheltenham, and hopefully he'll do so again."

The eight-year-old was blinkered for the first time in December and will be trying to improve on last season's fifth to Hors La Loi III.

Fitzgerald has still to finalise his Festival plans, but apart from Landing Light, he expects to ride Geos (Queen Mother Champion Chase) and Marlborough (Gold Cup).

There was also encouraging news of Gingembre, runner-up to Be My Royal in the Hennessy in November, following a gallop on Saturday. The nine-year-old, trained at Lambourn by Lavinia Taylor, was found to be suffering from a very low copper level in his blood which was causing azoturia or 'tying up' after finishing third at Cheltenham last month.

But Mrs Taylor's husband John said: "Lavinia thinks he is coming back to somewhere near the form he was in two years ago." The Aintree Grand National is the provisional target for Gingembre.

Red Marauder, the 2001 Grand National winner, returns over hurdles after an absence of 688 days in the 12.45 at Newcastle today. He is a likely runner in the Aintree marathon again, along with stablemates Red Ark and Red Striker, now trained by Richard Guest, whose first runner, Xaipete, finished third at Huntingdon on Saturday.

A hefty gamble on Safari Paradise, backed down to 7-2 favourite from 7-1, was foiled at Kempton on Saturday when the Martin Pipe-trained six-year-old was only third to 33-1 winner Double Account. Ladbrokes spokesman Balthazar Fabricius explained: "Our liabilities on the horse had reached over £2m by the off so understandably there has not been a more keenly watched race at Head Office for a while."

Tony McCoy give up his last three mounts after riding a double at Exeter yesterday as he was still being troubled with an injury to his shoulder caused in a fall at Kempton on Friday.