Controversial 1,000-1 shot Diore Lia ruled out with pulled muscle

Diore Lia, the controversial outsider who had dominated the Derby coverage in the week before the Classic, was dramatically ruled out of the race on Saturday morning due to a pulled muscle.

During a rollercoaster build-up for the Diore Lia team, her original jockey Gina Mangan, an apprentice with one winner to her name, was barred from riding the twice-raced filly owing to the jockey's inexperience after the BHA invoked the little-known (F) 83 rule.

Owner-breeder Richard Aylward voiced his anger at the decision and initially indicated the 1,000-1 outsider would miss the race, before later confirming his filly for the Classic with another apprentice, Paddy Pilley, booked for the ride.

Aylward had faced criticism over the decision to run Diore Lia, who moved to John Jenkins following her most recent run after previous trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam had felt running her at Epsom was the wrong thing to do.

He said on Saturday morning: "I'm distraught. She's going to be okay, it's just one of those things. She has a problem on one of her hind legs and is lame."

"It's been a rollercoaster week, everything that's been going on in the papers, all the good publicity and all the bad publicity we've been given and now this has happened – I don't know what to say."

Pilley added: "I'm disappointed for the owner and the trainer. She might have been a big price, but it was great to have a ride in the race. It's a shame."

Aylward was on the forfeit list for 15 years due to unpaid bills over the horse Carpe Momentum, who was left among the entries for the 2002 Derby despite being a gelding. His name was removed in March this year, the BHA confirmed.