PUNTERS have slammed Nicky Henderson’s ‘disgraceful’ decision to remove a superstar horse from a Grand National Festival race.
The legendary Seven Barrows boss had all but confirmed Triumph Hurdle runner-up Lulamba would run in Thursday’s Grade 1 Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle over 2m.
GettyLulamba, left, was smashed into odds-on favourite for one Grand National Festival race but punters saw their money go up in flames after he wasn’t declared[/caption]
The Joe and Marie Donnelly-owned potential world-beater has looked an absolute rocket but was downed by 100-1 shock Poniros at Cheltenham.
His Aintree assignment looked far easier and Henderson had said in the days prior to Thursday’s declarations: “Lulamba appears to have come out of his heroic Cheltenham effort in really good order.
“And he did everything we could have asked for at home, he is set for the 2m Juvenile Hurdle on Thursday.”
Punters had piled into the four-year-old on the back of Henderson’s words, smashing him into 8-11 favourite.
But the iconic handler switched up tactics at the last minute and pulled him from the race.
Instead, Lulamba’s odds for Saturday’s Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over 2m4f collapsed, in anticipation he runs there instead.
Some punters were livid at the late Willie Mullins-style switcheroo, even though Henderson was fully entitled to do it.
One said: “Perils of antepost betting, but have to say it’s disgraceful what Nicky Henderson has done with Lulamba.
“You can’t all-but declare a horse for a race, knowing many punters will put their money down, and then s**t out at the last minute. Such poor form.”
Another fumed: “Nicky Henderson has f***ed so many punters over with that after saying Lulamba was bound for the 2m Juvenile.”
While a third wrote on X: “Was hoping this was a Nicky Henderson April Fools prank.”
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