COLIN Tizzard’s Elegant Escape has withdrawn from the Grand National reckoning. 

Elegant Escape was the most notable of 16 withdrawals. The Welsh Grand National winner was sixth in the Gold Cup.

Tizzard has also taken out Royal Vacation, leaving dual Topham Chase winner Ultragold as the stable’s only representative.

Anthony Honeyball is another trainer with more than once chance, being able to call on Midlands National runner-up Ms Parfois and stablemate Regal Encore, who was eighth in the National in 2017 but had to miss Aintree last year.

The Dorset trainer, whose yard was hit by a virus earlier in the season, said of Ms Parfois: “We are technically 7lb well in. If it was five weeks off it would be better, but it is three weeks off, so it will be tough.

“For me, the Midlands National was very much her number one target. For her to run like that having come through what we have, she did very well, as she hadn’t run since December 1.

“Just from two out she did get very tired, but she did keep on and we just got beat. She does seem to have come out of it all right, so now the only question mark is the ground and that is the only reason why she wouldn’t run.

“We’ve looked at everything with the vet and we are happy to run, as long as it is something around soft. You just wouldn’t want good to soft, good, just lovely ground. If it was good to soft, with a bit of rain around, you would probably have a go then.

“It will be her last run of the season, so if the ground is right it will are inclined to take our chance bearing in mind we have done the background work.”

He added of Regal Encore: “I think he did need his last run (at Ascot last month) badly because of the stop-start season we’ve had with him. He did blow up in that race, but Richie (McClernon) was delighted with him.

“He had ridden him at Aintree (in December) when we were under a bit of a cloud and he just didn’t fire at all. He was so slow, although admittedly it was over hurdles.

“He was beaten a long way, he did come home, as his class got him home, but he struggled. We checked him out with the others and we could tell things weren’t right that day.

“He ran a really nice race at Ascot. He looks in great order.”

Last year’s winner Tiger Roll heads 81 hopefuls standing their ground for the National following the latest acceptance stage.