- Monbeg Genius withdrawn from Grand National amid ongoing investigations
- Owners Barrowman and Mone face scrutiny over PPE contracts
- National field narrows; favorites emerge ahead of April 13 race
Tuesday marked the conclusion of an unwelcome sideshow at the Grand National the following month when Monbeg Genius, the equine companion of Doug Barrowman and Michelle Mone, was eliminated from the race at the most recent declaration stage.
Barrowman Racing Ltd. officially owns Monbeg Genius, which Mone reportedly purchased for £80,000 in November 2020 as a second wedding gift for her spouse. Due to their ties to PPE Medpro, the couple has recently been the focus of an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). It has been subject to intense media scrutiny. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the firm was granted government contracts totaling £202 million. However, the government has commenced legal proceedings to recover £122 million, including expenses, because certain equipment allegedly failed to meet the anticipated standard.
Barrowman claims, “Michelle and I are being hung out to dry to deflect attention away from the government’s incompetence in procuring PPE during a national emergency.” The couple vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
When the weights for the National were released in February, Monbeg Genius was among the favorites, having completed a solid preliminary trial for Aintree in early December when it finished a noteworthy 10-length third in the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury. Nevertheless, earlier this month, he performed unfavorably in two consecutive outings, one at Kelso and the other at the Cheltenham Festival. By Tuesday morning, his odds had dropped to approximately 40-1.
In the wake of the Crown Prosecution Service’s discovery that £75 million of the Barrowmans’ assets had been “frozen or restrained” by a court order, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) investigated Monbeg Genius’ eligibility to race before his March 2 run at Kelso. ItIt was subsequently determined that the eight-year-old gelding that the eight-year-old gelding was not among the assets enumerated in the court order.
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Tuesday’s “forfeit” stage is the final one before the National’s five-day declaration period beginning on April 8. Monbeg Genius, along with Hewick, the original top weight and King George victor at Kempton on Boxing Day, was eliminated from the race along with seventeen other horses.
The utmost field size for this year’s National, which takes place on April 13, will be 34 for the first time; it was previously set at 40. At present, only six of the horses that are assured of a run are trained in Britain. In contrast, Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, the two foremost Irish trainers, each have ten entries in the top 34.
Last year’s victor, Corach Rambler, is the 5-1 favorite to deliver Lucinda Russell her third Grand National victory in the final seven furlongs of the race.
