FOOTPAD has been ruled out of Aintree after the Arkle Trophy winner was found to have scoped unsatisfactorily.

The exciting six-year-old, trained by Willie Mullins, holds an entry in the Big Buck's Celebration Manifesto Novices' Chase over two and a half miles at Aintree on Thursday following his convincing victory at Cheltenham last month.

Footpad, owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, holds an entry in the Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown on April 26th, but Mullins said: "I'm just saying he's out of Aintree and he had a bad scope. I'm saying nothing else."