A LEG INFECTION has forced the withdrawal of the bottom weight for Saturday’s Aintree Grand National, Our Monty, taking Katie Walsh’s dreams of riding in the showpiece chase with it.

Though she has faced the famous Aintree fences before in the Topham Trophy and the Grand Sefton Chase, Walsh has never ridden in the National and looked set to make her debut after Willie Mullins’ eight-year-old crept into the field at bottom weight.

Mullins confirmed last night that it was an illness which had forced the gelding’s withdrawal, leaving the Kildare woman empty-handed for Saturday afternoon’s race.

“I’m disappointed for the owners, and for Katie, that this should have happened on the eve of the National,” he told the Telegraph.

Walsh is not scheduled to ride any other horses over the course of the three-day festival, though her brother Ruby got off to a perfect start at the Liverpool course this afternoon, winning the first two races aboard favourites Big Buck’s and Zarkandar.

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