2009 Grand National – Useful Information Thread (Maybe)

They need to have a serious re-think about the start of the race, it’s just not acceptable what happened on Saturday, what are all the assistant starters doing? and it’s only a couple of years since the farce with Peter Haynes.
I don’t go along with the surprising view of Simon Holt on the Sunday Forum that he doesn’t mind it and that it all adds to the drama, The horses have enough to do without all that nonsense.Two horses noted getting upset by it all were, Chelsea Harbour & Hear The Echo, who knows whether it was the straw that broke the camels back for either, it certainly didn’t help.

If certain joke ys (including imo Hear The Echo’s) can’t do what they are told then it is their fault, not the sarter or starting procedure. I thought the starter and his team did an excellant job.

What do you expect the assistant starter to do? Stand in front of the horses with his hand up saying "STOP!"

There may be a way of giving a public warning to any joke y responsible for one false start. Then if they do it again on the second start; wack a big fine on all connections (not just the joke y) and withold half of any winnings to connections. May be then they’d get the message.

Mark