WYE Valley trainer Venetia Williams has been forced to pull Grand National hope L'Homme Presse out of the Aintree showcase following injury, leaving the team behind the King's Caple horse "completely devastated".

Williams, who famously won the National with 100/1 shot Mon Mome in 2009, was hoping to see her 11-year-old stable star challenge for the world's biggest steeplechase on Saturday after placing fifth in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup.

But the yard spotted some lameness in training, forcing the withdrawal of the stayer for the second year running.

It comes just a week after stable mate and two-time Haydock Betfair Chase winner Royale Pagaille, who raced in last year's National, was officially retired from racing at the age of 12.

"I'm completely devastated and so are the others," said Andy Edwards, who co-owns L'Homme Presse under the DFA Racing banner.

"I watched him work last week and it was big grins all round, but then on Tuesday morning I got a phone call from Venetia saying he was a little bit lame in front where he has had his previous issues and they couldn't trot him up and get him to pass the video needed for the vets.

"It's nothing serious and the X-rays haven't shown up anything horrible... (but) he won't be ready in time [for Aintree] and he wouldn't be allowed to run as he couldn't pass the video of his trot up.

"He does this now and again and has a bit of soreness for two or three days days and then is sound again, but he does need some rest and medication.

"He's had less issues this season and Venetia has had the National in mind since last summer, so it's just awful it has happened now."

The Brown Advisory winner at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival raced to three successive runner-up spots over the winter before coming from the back of the field in the Gold Cup to pass Welsh National winner Haiti Couleurs and Harry Redknapp's King George VI winner The Jukebox Man in the run in, taking fifth.

Edwards added: "For owners of our ilk, to have a horse so wonderful and brilliant competing at that level for so many years – and now aged 11 – for that to culminate with him running in the Grand National would have been the pinnacle.

"We all thought it was made for him and he had a really good chance, so to have that cruelly taken away is painful.

"Our first concern is always the horse and we'll find out more today, but he will be fine. Ultimately we would rather find out now than halfway round at Aintree.

"However, this one is gut-wrenching, as the same thing happened last year ahead of the Grand National. We missed both the Gold Cup and Grand National last year and it's happened again - it's tough...

"To have a horse run well in the Grand National would have been the culmination of everything I've tried to achieve, but sadly it is not to be.

"Venetia is confident this isn't the end, but I'm not so sure I'd want to put him through it any more with how wonderful he has been.

"I’d rather focus on his brilliance and what he's achieved from humble beginnings. They're discussions to be had over the summer and once we know more."

Meanwhile, "amazing" stable mate Royale Pagaille, who was another fifth-placed finisher in the Gold Cup, has run his last race, with owner Rich Ricci retiring him days after watching his other horses Gaelic Warrior and Lossiemouth race to a Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle double at Cheltenham.

The 12-year-old ran four Grade 1 Betfair Chases, winning the Grade 1 contest in 2023 and 2024 and runner-up in 2021 and 2025, and also landed the Peter Marsh Chase at the same course twice.

"He ran another stormer in this season's Betfair, but we've decided this is the right time to retire him," trainer Williams told the Racing Post.

"For four of the last five years he's run terrific races in the Betfair, but the last couple of seasons he's struggled to build on that.

"He didn't run so well in the Peter Marsh (in January) and was becoming more ground dependent the older he was getting. Unless it was testing, he was finding it all a bit too quick for him.

"He's got a lovely home organised for him, where he will be hunting in Dorset and will be going there next week. Horses like him aren't easy to find and he's been amazing."