“Is anyone really surprised by yet 2 more deaths at the National? There isn’t a lot more I can say about the race, that I have not already said in previous post on horse racing. I’ve grown up with horses & have never been a fan of steeple racing but the Grand National is one race I despise, so will keep my opinions brief.”
“The start was a shambles, Synchronised broke loose & even unseated his rider, he may have only gone just short of two furlongs, & was examined by vets, but nobody could be instantly certain about his physical and mental well-being; he didn’t look right from the get go!. He should have been pulled out, as should all horses that break free before the start… in this race, the horses need no extra exertion to deal with.”
“There are certain jockeys that should be reprimanded for over use of the whip too! By the time the horses are approaching the finishing line, they have run an exhaustive 4 1/2 miles & jumped 30 fences, which makes it the longest in world Thoroughbred National Hunt racing!! I have purposely enlarged the photo’s so you can see the fear in the horses eyes & how the metal bits can actually fracture the horses teeth via riders hanging onto the reigns over jumps. Also, look at the tremendous amount of weight the horses place on their 2 front legs when coming down from a jump…is there any wonder bones shatter & break?”
The Grand National faced fresh controversy yesterday after two horses died during the race despite the introduction of new safety measures.
Millions of television viewers saw Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised, one of the favourites, fall at Becher’s Brook fence. The horse was later put down.
The horses at the starting line up of the Grand National today after an early fall in the warm up and a false start
The second victim of the infamous fence, which has claimed more lives than any other in the iconic race, was According To Pete, which was put down after breaking its neck.
Two other horses, Killyglen and Weird Al, were last night being examined by vets after being injured during the race. Their conditions were not thought to be life threatening.
The incident-packed 165th Grand National was one of the most dramatic in history.
Neptune Collonges won the race in the closest ever finish. Sunnyhillboy finished second and Seabass, ridden by Katie Walsh – hoping to become the first female jockey to win the National – finished third.
But it was the fatalities that last night sparked a furious debate, with the RSPCA calling for an ‘urgent examination’ of the race.
The deaths came despite the introduction of new safety measures. Almost £250,000 was spent by Aintree officials to implement the recommendations of a safety review following a public outcry over the deaths last year of Dooney’s Gate, also at Becher’s Brook, and Ornais.
Jitters: After trotting back to join the other horses for the start of the race, Synchronized (ridden by Tony McCoy) inspected the first fence and didn't look too eager - sadly this was a sign of things to come
They included changes to three fences that have claimed half of the fallers since 1990 and a raft of other measures including stricter pre-race screenings. Becher’s Brook, made of spruce trees, is notorious because of the size and angle of the 6ft 9in drop on the landing side, which is lower than the take-off.
Since 2000, 35 horses have died during the three-day Aintree meeting.
The death of Synchronised came after its jockey Tony McCoy had earlier been unseated by the horse in the moments leading to the start of the race, raising questions over whether the favourite was fit to race.
The horse went on to fall at Becher’s on the first circuit before carrying on and falling again at the 11th fence, where it broke its leg. According To Pete fell at Becher’s after colliding with another horse on the second circuit.
Fatal fall: AP McCoy and Synchronised fall after the sixth fence. The horse had to be put down on the course
There was further drama as jockey Noel Fehily was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg after being unseated from State Of Play at the fifth fence.
One fence had to be bypassed on the second circuit for the jockey to be treated by medics. In all, just 15 of the 40 horses that started the race finished.
Gavin Grant, chief executive of the RSPCA, said: ‘The death of two horses at the Grand National, bringing the total to three at the Aintree meeting, is totally unacceptable.
Three riders and their horses fall on a turn as the others push on for the finishing line
‘This is the second year running that two horses have died. In it’s current format, the risks to horses are not appropriate and we want an urgent examination of the Grand National, including a number of fences including Becher’s Brook where horses are continuing to die despite safety improvements.’
Mr Grant also questioned whether the whip was overused in the final stages of the race, adding: ‘If that is the case it is totally unacceptable and, given the narrow margin of the win, I believe the result should be reversed.’
Carnage: Horses jump Beechers Brook at the start of the race. There were two confirmed fatalities
Last night Julian Thick, managing director of Aintree Racecourse, said: ‘We are desperately sad at these two accidents and our sympathies are with the connections of both horses.
‘When a horse gets hurt, everyone is deeply upset. Safety is the first priority for the organisers of the Grand National and we make every effort to ensure that everyone involved in the event is able to participate in safety.
‘Horse racing is a sport that is very carefully regulated and monitored by the British Horseracing Authority, but risk can never be completely removed.
‘After today, we will, as always, be looking at all aspects of the race to see how we can improve safety further.’
Tumble: Jockey James Reveley, centre, falls from Always Right at The Chair fence during the Grand National
But Cornelius Lysaght, BBC horse racing correspondent, said: ‘There is no doubt this is a black day for the Grand National and for horse racing. Nobody should underestimate it – this is very serious for everyone in the racing industry.
‘A big dark cloud hangs over the Grand National. Its future is in a certain amount of doubt.’
The National, described as the world’s greatest steeplechase, is worth a record £970,000 in prize money, making it the richest jump race in Europe.
James Reveley rolls away from the crash. A number of other fallers in the race will renew calls for smaller fences
At Aintree, shocked racegoers among the 70,000-strong crowd, which included Alex Gerrard and Coleen Rooney, the wives of footballers Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, reacted in horror at the deaths.
And there was further outrage from animal welfare groups.
Ben Wilson, of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: ‘The only sure-fire bet at the Grand National is that of all the losers – it’s the horses who lose the most.
Neptune Collonges runs clears as According to Pete and jockey Henry Haynes and On His Own and Paul Townshend fall at Bechers
‘The thoroughbreds forced to take part in the Grand National are accidents waiting to happen. What sort of person, upon reflection, can find it amusing or ethical to bet on exhausted animals, knowing that some will crash face-first into the ground and career into one another on the deliberately punishing and hazardous course?’
Tony Moore, chairman of Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe, led a group of around 50 demonstrators outside the course.
Neptune Collonges, right, pulls clear of the pack as he comes down off the final fence
He said: ‘After the demo I was watching the race on TV but when I saw the first black screen go up my heart sank.
‘The safety changes have clearly made no difference whatsoever. If owners, jockeys and trainers really cared about their horses, why do they continue to put them through this terrible ordeal year after year?
‘The Grand National is a national disgrace.’
: Neptune Collonges and Daryl Jacobs (left) beat Sunnyhillboy on the line
Within minutes of the race ending it was trending on Twitter as one of the most talked-about issues of the day, with hundreds of users, including several celebrities, denouncing it as barbaric.
Kelly Brook, the model and actress, said: ‘I was really distrubed by the Grand National, couldn’t believe my eyes. So cruel.’
Sally Bercow, wife of Commons Speaker John Bercow, tweeted: ‘Horses dying is not “sport”’
But others dismissed the protests, one saying: ‘You tweet as you sit wearing leather and eating a bacon sandwich.’
After the race, Paul Nicholls, the trainer of 33/1 shot winner Neptune Collonges, said: ‘Millions of people watch the race, many people get pleasure from it.
‘We all knew before we came here the risks. The horses get looked after brilliantly but unfortunately these things do happen.’
News Link:- The Daily Mail
“The Grand National will always be the world’s most demanding horse race. It is notorious for the consistency with which it kills and injures horses. Despite numerous changes to the course and conditions of the race over the past 50 years, 37 horses are known to have lost their lives, while many others have been injured. In fact, the death rate has increased over the past five decades. Today, the race is, on average, more than five times more lethal than other steeplechases. Reducing the height of the jumps will not make it any safer, it will in fact make it faster therefore more deadly.”
“The only way to make this race safer for horses is to ban it altogether, people will still be able to bet away & win a fortune on other races…just not on this race!!
“How many people remember Red Rum?? the only horse to win the Grand National 3 times. He died on October 18th 1995 at the age of 30 & is buried at the finishing line with his head facing the winning post.
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