Tiger Roll decision to be left late with Irish National and Aintree on the table

Eddie and Michael O'Leary are likely to keep Tiger Roll fans guessing as to where he will appear next, with a decision on a tilt at the BoyleSports Irish Grand National or Betway Bowl at Aintree likely to be left until the last minute.

Tiger Roll was withdrawn from the Randox Grand National last month over what Michael O'Leary, the man behind Gigginstown House Stud, felt was an unfair assessment from the British handicapper.

An emphatic fifth Cheltenham Festival triumph has since been achieved after Tiger Roll ran out an impressive winner of the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. However, Gigginstown's Eddie O'Leary offered no regrets about withdrawing him from the National.

"He'll either go to Aintree for the Bowl or for the Irish National," he said. "We left him in the Irish National thinking that, if the ground was suitable, we could claim 7lb off him. That would give him a nice racing weight.

"If he goes to Fairyhouse he could be ridden by a claimer, otherwise it will be the Bowl. He has come out of Cheltenham very well, according to Sneezy [Foster], and she's very happy with him."

Tiger Roll details

Tiger Roll may have been ruled out of the National, but Gigginstown are still expecting to have several runners in the Aintree showpiece and the Irish equivalent.

O'Leary said: "At this stage it looks as though we'll have five or six for the Aintree National and roughly the same for Fairyhouse. Shattered Love, Milan Native, Farclas and Alpha Des Obeaux are all possibles for Aintree.

"For the Irish National, obviously Tiger Roll is a possible and we've kept Coko Beach and Run Wild Fred for that as well; they would be our main ones for the race."

Abacadabras: will head to Liverpool for the Aintree Hurdle following his early Champion Hurdle exitCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Abacadabras got no further than the third in the Champion Hurdle and, rather than wait for Punchestown, he is likely to head to Aintree.

O'Leary said: "Abacadabras will run in the Aintree Hurdle. He had no race at Cheltenham and there isn't much point in hanging around to bump into Honeysuckle again at Punchestown.

"If he ever gets two and a half miles, it will be at Aintree. A nice flat track that plays to the strengths of speed horses would be ideal."

More great reads here

How the Cheltenham Festival might have looked if Gordon Elliott had been there

'It's time to pull our socks up' - Olly Murphy readying strong team for Aintree

Recurring injury prompts high-class Mullins mare Elfile to retire

Join Members' Club Ultimate and read tipping from the likes of Pricewise and Paul Kealy, all the big interviews and features, daily comment and news analysis – plus our Ultimate Daily newsletter. Click here to sign up.