LAST year’s Grand National third Vics Canvas will miss this season’s race.

The 14-year-old developed a small problem after working at Fairyhouse this week but no final decision has been made on his future.

Connections wanted to take him to Aintree a fresh horse and he has not been seen since he defied his 100-1 starting price last April.

Trainer Dermot McLoughlin said: “He’s not going to make Aintree, we’ve run out of time with him.

“It’s just a small problem but it will prevent him from running this season. I haven’t spoken to his owners yet about whether to keep going with him but the vet said there is no reason why not.

“It might be a bit much running a 15-year-old in the National, though, so we might look at the Fox Hunters’.”

Part-owner Gary O’Brien added: “He went well in a gallop at Fairyhouse on Wednesday but he wasn’t right the following morning.

“I’d imagine we’ll all have a board meeting before any decision about calling it a day or trying to bring him back again.”

O’Neill wants More

Jonjo O’Neill hopes More Of That can proudly fly the Jackdaws Castle flag in the Randox Health Grand National, instead of Minella Rocco, who the trainer ruled out of the race earlier this week.

O’Neill sees More Of That, who was sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, as an ideal type for a race he won in 2010 with Don’t Push It.

He said: “We were happy with More Of That in the Gold Cup. We’ve another couple of weeks to go and we’re hoping to get him to Aintree for the National. He seems perfectly fine at home so it’s full speed ahead. You need all the luck in running in the National but he seems in great form and if he sharpens up in the next week or two we’ll be delighted with ourselves.

“He’s not as fast as he used to be so he’s the right sort of horse to go to Aintree with.”

There was a surprise earlier when O’Neill ruled Minella Rocco out of the race, as the Gold Cup runner-up had been joint-favourite at the time.

He explained: “Minella Rocco ran a cracking race in the Gold Cup, but he had a hard race.

“He’s only seven, so we’ve decided to take our time with him, give him a rest and bring him back next season for another go at the Gold Cup, and then maybe the National.

O’Neill has also withdrawn the 2014 Irish Grand National winner Shutthefrontdoor, who will instead return to Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.