Today's John Smith's Grand National at Aintree is in danger of collapse after it was revealed that the favourite and his jockey have pulled out of the race, in protest at the Human Rights abuses China heaps on the remote fantasy mountain kingdom of Tibet.
Crotchless Knickers, the pre-race bookies favourite, ridden by Nepalese jockey Tensing Dong, refused to come out of his stable this morning, and, when he was eventually coaxed out with a carrot, then ran to a corner of his field, sat down and stubbornly told his handlers:
"Neigh."
Jockey Dong, 58, was supportive of his mount, and said through an interpretor:
"Horse feel strongly about repression. Not running today, thank you."
The Chinese government has, thus far, remained silent at the news.
