17 January 2023 , 18:30
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Grand National winner Noble Yeats has been ruled out of a trip to Lingfield this weekend because of an issue with his vaccination record.
The Emmett Mullins-trained jumper was due to run in the Fleur de Lys Chase, one of the feature prizes of the three day Winter Million before mounting a challenge for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
Muillins made the entry on Monday but it subsequently emerged the horse was not qualified to run because his vaccination record had not been updated in time, as required by the close of entries.
A BHA spokesperson said: “The BHA can confirm that Noble Yeats is not qualified to take part in the Fleur de Lys Chase (Class 2) at Lingfield Park on Sunday, as the horse’s vaccination record is not compliant with the Rules of Racing.
“Vaccinations must have been administered, uploaded to the Weatherbys App and verified by a veterinary surgeon before the close of entries to avoid a horse being NQd. In the case of Noble Yeats, this process was not completed in time, meaning the horse is not qualified to run.
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“This change to the Rules of Racing came into effect this month, following a 12-month transition period to allow trainers to adjust to the changes to the vaccine booster intervals. The BHA and IHRB have taken a co-ordinated approach to its implementation.”
Mullins was targeting the Fleur de Lys as a suitable prep for Cheltenham before another tilt at the Grand National.
The race is not certain to go ahead with the first day of the Winter Million already abandoned as the track is frozen and a cold forecast for the rest of the week.