Injuries mean On His Own may be shortest National winner since 1920

The saying that ‘lightning never strikes twice’ is one that is fairly regularly trotted out, but Prince De Beauchene has challenged the truth behind it after being ruled out of the Grand National again.

Prince De Beauchene was backed into 9/1 from 33/1 last year before being ruled out in late March after a stress fracture was discovered by a vet around his hip area.

This time he had been supported from 16/1 into 8/1, but at an almost identical time a minor stress fracture has been found in a bone in his pelvis that will take six weeks to recover from.

The 10-year-old is clearly a delicate soul who cannot withstand too much racing, given he has made the racecourse just four times in the last two seasons.

He is not the only withdrawal at this stage, with Beshabar, another that is no stranger to injury, being ruled out.

Beshabar has not run since the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup because of a tendon injury and now he has suffered an ankle problem.

The fallout from these injuries is that Prince De Beauchene’s stablemate On His Own is now clear favourite at 6/1 and no horse has won the Grand National at such a short price since Troytown in 1920.

On His Own was travelling especially well in the race last year until falling at Becher’s Brook on the second circuit and returns this year at an identical racing weight.

Meanwhile, he comes back more experienced and stronger.

Furthermore, Mr Moonshine and Mumbles Head will move into the final Grand National 40 from the reserve spots because of the withdrawals, with the latter looking the most likely to run well of the two at 100/1, despite his bigger price.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.