Blow for John McConnell as stable star Mahler Mission ruled out for the campaign

The John McConnell stable has been dealt a tough blow as Mahler Mission has been ruled out for the season.

However, the trainer is optimistic he can recover and have another tilt at Aintree and the Grand National in the future.

The eight-year-old finished runner-up in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury last season when beaten three and a three-quarter lengths by Datsalrightgino and was subsequently kept fresh for the National, for which he went off at odds of 18-1, but he unseated Ben Harvey at the Chair. He finished off his campaign with a fourth-placed finish in the French Champion Hurdle.

Connections had been eyeing a possible tilt at the Becher Handicap Chase next month but they have had to pull stumps for the season due to a setback.

"He had a bit of suspensory trouble so we're going to mind him," said McConnell. "He's still only a young horse so hopefully we'll have him back this time next year. He's a big one to lose for the yard so it's a blow.

"He was entered in the Becher and was unlucky in the Grand National last season. He jumped the first seven or eight lovely was in a nice position but got murdered at the Canal Turn and everything went wrong after that. I still have my eye on the National but we'll have to wait another year."

A Grade 2-winning novice hurdler, Mahler Mission ran twice at the Cheltenham Festival, finishing seventh in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle in 2022 before suffering a cruel fall two out when five lengths clear in the National Hunt Chase a year later.

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