Nick Rockett

The 2025 Grand National winner Nick Rockett has been withdrawn from the 2026 edition due to coughing. Pied Piper (New Approach), the first reserve, has been added to the lineup for Saturday's contest at Aintree. The son of Walk In The Park is trained by Willie Mullins for Stewart and Sadie Andrew. Willie's son Patrick, who also partnered the gelding to success 12 months ago, said, "It is 72-hour declarations for the Grand National, and we wanted to give him every chance, but he gave a few coughs this morning...

The Irish diaspora in the Bluegrass has lost one of its foundation stones with the death last Sunday of Roger ("Roddy") O'Byrne, who presided for many years at McCarthy's Bar in downtown Lexington. O'Byrne, together with co-proprietor Peter Kiely, made their bar an institution not just for local horsemen but for the international bloodstock community. During an era when phoney "themed" bars round the world sought to exploit the national tradition of good craic, O'Byrne created a little piece of home for those compatriots of his own generation who served...