Grand National 2024: Paul Nicholls withdraws final runner to leave just five British horses in Aintree race

14-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls will have no runners at this year’s Grand National after withdrawing his final horse.

Nicholls is looking in a head-to-head battle with former training understudy Dan Skelton to top this year’s standings.

But the 61-year-old will have no chances in the big race at Aintree next month after pulling Threeunderthrufive from the field. The horse will instead run at the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on April 27.

Nicholls’ charge had been a 33-1 shot with bookmakers in a race which is increasingly short of British runners.

There are just five British horses left in the field, with the defending champion Corach Rambler leading home hopes.

The Scottish-based horse finished third earlier this month at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, behind Willie Mullins’ back-to-back winner Galopin des Champs and the Gordon Elliott-trained Gerri Colombe.

This year, the Grand National takes place on April 13, with Lucinda Russell’s Corach Rambler the current bookies’ favourite to repeat his 2023 success ahead of the likes of I Am Maximus, Vanillier, Panda Boy, Mahler Mission and Meeting of the Waters.