ALAN King has vowed not to run West End Rocker over the Grand National fences again after the Becher Chase winner failed to end the season on a high at Sandown.

The 10-year-old was pulled up in the bet365 Gold Cup on Saturday, two weeks after he fell at the second fence in the John Smith's Grand National.

“Aintree had clearly left its mark, and Wayne (Hutchinson) said that the horse did not even want to go down to the start at Sandown," the Barbury Castle trainer told alankingracing.co.uk.

"Granted, he won a Becher Chase over the big fences, but you never know how much running in a National has taken out of a horse until you roll the dice again.

“We live and learn at this game, and one thing is certain and that is that 'Rocker' will not be going anywhere near Aintree again.

“He will have a good summer off, and there are plenty of other good staying chases around for him. He loves Newbury and Warwick and seems to perform best on left-handed flat tracks.”

King finished last week’s Punchestown Festival with no winners but revealed he was just pleased to return to Barbury with his team of seven runners safe and sound.

“All credit to the team at Punchestown, who performed miracles to get through the week, but it did not happen for us and that’s racing,” said King.

“Balder Succes is a very good jumper so it was disapponting to see him unship ‘Choc’ at the first in Ireland, having also fallen at Cheltenham, but these things happen.

“Happily, like Kumbeshwar, who took a heavy fall there on Friday, he seems fine, and, while Secret Edge ran an absolute blinder in the big four-year-old race and was unlucky not to make the frame, we knew that Golden Electra would not cope with that ground but took the decision that as she was over there she might as well take her chance.

“The great thing is that they all arrived back from Punchestown at 7am on Sunday, none the worse for their exertions, and they will now enjoy a good holiday.”