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The start was farcical with the two guys pulling faces as well as the knicker elastic and taking an entirety to get the job done, out of date procedure and desperately needs sorting out.
The chap inscribing the winners name on the plaque spelt it wrong, would he need to use paint stripper to rectify?
Nothing wrong with letting Syncronised taking his chance, he exerted little energy running loose and although I too noticed him twitching his ears and backing off when AP showed him the first, don’t think this was significant.
Thought the lack of concern regarding the brave injured jockeys compared to the horses both on television and in the papers was appalling.
A jockey received a similar injury as both horses on Saturday, unfortunately where he can recover the horses cannot and that is no ones fault.Thought the RSPCA were meant to be concerned about animal cruelty, horse racing is not cruel.
I wrote this on another forum – pretty much sums up where I am now on this:
It’s a huge pot for the sport – the winning owner got £547k and these are geldings so they have no residual stud value. For those not good enough to win the Gold Cup it’s the target for the season.
In recent years, the fences have been modified – they are smaller though still intimidating but the drops have been eased so they are more inviting for the better horse.
The other big change has been the drainage of the track. On Tuesday, after heavy rain, it was reportedly soft but by Saturday it had dried to Good. Since 2001, most of the Nationals have been run on faster ground than previously. Is this due to climate change or simply better drainage?
So, you have the three elements – better horses running for a larger pot, modified fences that are smaller and more inviting and a course which drains well leading to faster ground enabling horses to gallop faster. Put the three together and it’s possible to see what has happened and why.
What then to do? One answer might be to substantially reduce the prize money to discourage the better horses from running but I can’t see that being popular with the course, owners, trainers or jockeys.
A second option might be to strengthen the fences again -building them up again in size so horses respect them more. Again, that will hit a lot of opposition from groups like the RSPCA and Animal Aid and from those who want to see the better horses run.
A third option might be to do what the French do at Auteuil outside Paris and significantly overwater to produce artificially soft ground. There’s plenty of evidence long-term overwatering can cause great damage to turf and it might be that the course will have to do a lot of work between meetings but it’s only used for three times once a year and for one race in both October and November.
Another option might be to move the race back into the winter, to perhaps the end of February which might guarantee slower ground but would re-write the narrative of the jumps season.
The risk would be a late winter freeze and the race would be before Cheltenham (as well as clashing with the Eider). That could leave the option of a 4-mile handicap chase at the Festival carrying say £250k in winning prize money as an alternative staying prize – perhaps revamping the National Hunt Chase would be an option.
I wrote this on another forum – pretty much sums up where I am now on this:
In recent years, the fences have been modified – they are smaller though still intimidating but the drops have been eased so they are more inviting for the better horse.
The other big change has been the drainage of the track. On Tuesday, after heavy rain, it was reportedly soft but by Saturday it had dried to Good. Since 2001, most of the Nationals have been run on faster ground than previously. Is this due to climate change or simply better drainage?
So, you have the three elements – better horses running for a larger pot, modified fences that are smaller and more inviting and a course which drains well leading to faster ground enabling horses to gallop faster. Put the three together and it’s possible to see what has happened and why.
Some interesting points stodge but your assertion above that things have got worse in recent years totally contradicts what Paul Bittar said in his statement where he said things have never been better for the race in terms of injuries and fatalities.
He said "The decade since 2000 was the safest on record for the Grand National with a fatality rate of 1.5% compared to 3.3% at the start of the 90’s".
So in fact despite the unfortunate 2 fatalities this year and last and what some would have you believe. things of got better in recent years.
Of course it would be folly to have some knee jerk reaction to an odd year or two’s events.
Horse Racing is not cruel, but the Grand National is not an horse race. It is akin to comparing the school sports day egg and spoon race to the final of the 100 metres in the Olympic Games.
I accept that equine deaths are a sad and relatively infrequent part of the running and training of horses to race. However the racehorse has been thoroughly bred over a number of centuries and that breeding pattern has evolved the racehorse into an animal that is no longer suited to the demands that the Grand National makes upon the breed.
Seabass was only beaten 5 lengths in 3rd place yet "failed to stay". How can the winner or runner-up been deemed to have shown sufficient stamina as neither was full of running, it was simply a case of last horse standing. Neptune Collonges did not "run on", he merely slowed down less quickly than the rest. The last time I can recall any winner of the National finishing full of running was Lord Gyllene in 1997, therefore horses that truly stay the National trip are freaks of nature who defy their pedigree.
To ask 40 horses annually to run a distance that is beyond their scope produces an unacceptable attrition rate. It is not so much the volume of deaths but the calculated destruction of animals from their designed purpose i.e. to race, that makes the Grand National an unnecessary and cruel spectacle. By destruction I mean that it finishes the effectiveness of too many of the participants as racehorses.
Even the winner, who was a racehorse of notable merit in his heyday is finished as a racehorse. It is not because he deserved retirement after winning, he had fully justified his retirement long before that. The way his jockey had to ride him vigorously at the start was hardly that of an animal in harmony with its environment.
The combination of the extreme distance and the amount of fences the horses are required to jump are no longer suitable for the breed.Some interesting points stodge but your assertion above that things have got worse in recent years totally contradicts what Paul Bittar said in his statement where he said things have never been better for the race in terms of injuries and fatalities.
He said "The decade since 2000 was the safest on record for the Grand National with a fatality rate of 1.5% compared to 3.3% at the start of the 90’s".
So in fact despite the unfortunate 2 fatalities this year and last and what some would have you believe. things of got better in recent years.
Of course it would be folly to have some knee jerk reaction to an odd year or two’s events.
Unfortunately, the world has moved on in the past twenty years. The hype that the National engenders puts it under the closest of microscopes and the phenomena of the Internet and Twitter spreads uninformed or ill-informed debate across the world.
Whether we like it or not, there is a huge media and public sensitivity around the issue. We cannot ignore the fact that for many people the death of a racehorse is the same as the death of a person and that there is also a perception that horses are being coerced into racing.
I’ve tried to defend racing and racing people on non-racing threads and have faced a barrage of sentimental and ill-informed criticism, some of it well-meant, other parts less so.
Another way of looking at it might be that it completely out of date & anachronistic. The race was designed for old fashioned ‘chasers that were in many cases half breds & slow by today’s standards. Would Golden Miller beat the likes of Kauto Star? Most likely not. These old style horses would gallop for ever most at one pace & shoulder huge weights.
Today’s horses are more likely to be flat bred on both sides of the pedigree,& have less than nine inches of bone below the knee.
Stamina was important in the past in all spheres of racing, the Ascot Gold Cup being the pinnacle of an entire horses career when now it just attracts geldings is an example. Didn’t some one post about the 4 mile ‘chase at Cheltenham previously having more status than the Gold Cup?
As I posted somewhere else it is crazy to use the course only 5 times a year & expect horses to jump round. Perhaps we need to limit it to horses that stay 4 miles, have jumped round before (more prep races?, or get rid of it all together. It can never be made 100% safe; wouldn’t want to give into the bunny huggers though.Some good common sense posts here , Eclipse is as always spot on (damn that Girl )…however folks one thing all have overlooked is the most important , ie cash generated on the race
Racing is funded out of betting losses , saturday’s bumper result will have swelled the bookies coffers again , they will after long and painful haggling give a small amount back to racing to fund itself …so all bunny huggers (love that one ) , Rspca , Animal aid etc , papers whose agenda is to condemn racing at every given opportunity , will just have to sit and suffer , as put simply , Money talks , it will go on doing so regardless
Even if those animal charities took racing to court to try and have it banned would fall flat on their face ,,,so no concerns there (imo )
The show will go on , with channel 4 now in the driving seat viewers will be greatly reduced , so the annual wringing of hands will be a lot less …..
Lets get on with it , the race is what it is , we either accept that or scrap it , and the chances of that are very slim ….imo
Ricky
Unfortunately, the world has moved on in the past twenty years. The hype that the National engenders puts it under the closest of microscopes and the phenomena of the Internet and Twitter spreads uninformed or ill-informed debate across the world.
Whether we like it or not, there is a huge media and public sensitivity around the issue. We cannot ignore the fact that for many people the death of a racehorse is the same as the death of a person and that there is also a perception that horses are being coerced into racing.
I’ve tried to defend racing and racing people on non-racing threads and have faced a barrage of sentimental and ill-informed criticism, some of it well-meant, other parts less so.
That’s all very well stodge but your original post is all based on things having got worse recently, your reasoning why this has occurred, drainage, prize money, quality of horse when in fact the opposite is the truth plus your possible solutions to the recent "problems".
You said "Since 2001, most of the Nationals have been run on faster ground than previously".
"So you have three elements, better horses running for a larger pot, modified fences that are smaller and more inviting and a course that drains well leading to faster ground enabling horses to gallop faster. Put the three together and it’s possible to see what has happened and why".What exactly has happened in your opinion?
According to Paul Bittar safety & fatalities have improved considerably since 2000 not the opposite as you imply.
Dead right about the start being farcical.
Why they inist on having them line up in a straight line, noses to teh tape, is beyond me. They’ve moved away from that in most other races, where they bring them in and raise the tape almost on the run. I realise that isn’t so easy with 40 but Saturday was embarrasing, once again. The starter looked to be leaning back nonchalantly, I was half expecting him to pull out a cigar and have a sip of brandy at one point.
You’d think they’d be paranoid about another Esha Ness race but they seem to be inviting a repeat.
I would say, however, that the elements the racecourse itself were responsible for all seemed to work well.
The course itself was in great condition. The facilities were good and there seeemed to be more leg-room than you find at Cheltenham on Gold Cup Day or at Epsom on Derby Day, for example.
The racecards were excellent (if a little pricey at a fiver for GN day).
The parade of past champions was brilliant, as was the charity race. Great to see some old heroes although the horses must have shuddered when they saw a few of the tubbier characters enter the paddock in silks (step forward Mr. B.Powell).
The course had free disposable plastic macs available when the rain started, much appreciated on the Friday.
Viewing was generally good and security tight but not too intrusive.
Despite Liverpool Vs Everton being on and plenty boozy lads I saw no trouble. There were apparently only 16 arrests over the three days (only five of which were inside the course). Not bad in the potentially volatile circumstances.
Re some sort of "practice" over the Aintree fences … there are plenty of examples of horses who have completed and then next time fallen – State Of Play who has finished in the places 3 times yet this year exited early; Hello Dandy and Aldaniti … also others who have fallen and gone on to win or complete in a later year – West Tip.
The start is ridiculous – this year it must have added alot to the horses’ anticipation, making them just that more on edge and that bit more difficult to settle as they set off … I can’t see why they insist on having all 40 in one line like that – why don’t they have a line on the ground,
back
from the tape – the horses approach the line, the tape goes up – with a race that long is a flying start so essential??
Still not sure were I am on the National. It was carnage this year. The amount of fallers and the deaths go to show that the safety changes have done nothing for the race. The worse part of it for me is seeing so many jockeys taking horrible falls some of them were stomach churning.
Terrible shame about synchronised he was one of my favourite horses, an ultimate fighter. I dont think the national should be stopped as it is still one of my favourite races but I do think it needs a little tweaking. I think the race needs to be slowed down so I wouldnt lower the fences, maybe reduce the size of the field too.
Horses die every week while racing its just something that you have to accept even though its tragic. My concern about the national is jockey safety as I fear one year it will be much worse than equine fatalities hitting the headlines.
TP, fair point. It’s always argued that the standard of entries should be scrutinised more closely, in order to prove their suitability for The National. It’s a hopeless, pointless task that horses should meet a strict qualifying criteria, and have to show an aptitude for the fences. Sadly, this is nothing more than a waste of time. People read too much into experience over the fences, and although some horses obviously take to it, it’s no guarantee that they’ll always be a safe conveyance. It’s unlikely that Black Apalachi will be back, but if he did, he would still
be labelled an "Aintree Specialist", despite failing to get round on 3 out of 5 occasions he’s tackled the fences.Apologies for the length of this list, but hopefully it’ll go some way to proving the above point. It doesn’t include, Pulled Ups, Brought Downs, Carried Out, or Slipped Saddles.
Winners who’ve failed to get round on other attempts over the fences.
Gay Trip
Rubstic
Aldaniti
Corbiere
Hallo Dandy
West Tip
Little Polvier (twice)
Seagram
Party Politics
Royal Athlete
Rough Quest
Red Marauder
Bindaree (twice)
Hedgehunter
Silver Birch (twice)
Mon MomePlaced horses since 1978 who’ve failed to get round on other attempts
Sebastian V
Drumroan (twice)
Coolishall (twice)
Zongalero (twice)
Royal Stuart (twice)
Rough And Tumble
Three To One (FOUR times)
Spartan Missile
Royal Mail (twice)
Delmoss (twice)
Lastofthebrownies
Rinus
Brown Windsor
Romany King
Lauras Beau
Docklands Express
Moorcroft Boy
Camelot Knight
Superior Finish
Addington Boy
Niki Dee
Mely Moss
Brave Highlander
Blowing Wind
What’s Up Boys
Lord Atterbury
Clan Royal
Royal Auclair (Three times)
Philson Run
McKelvey
My Will
State Of Play
Black Apalachi (Three times)Winners of The Becher Chase, The Topham, & The Foxhunters, who’ve failed to complete on other attempts
Indian Tonic (Twice)
Into The Red
Young Hustler
Young Kenny
Ardent Scout
Vic Venturi
Hello Bud
Tiepolino
Glenrue
Won’t be Gone Long
JJ Henry
Northern Starlight
Gower Slave
Clan Royal
Dunbrody Millar
Irish Raptor (twice)
Gwanako (Three times)
Eliogarty
Double Silk
Blue Cheek
Killeshin
Torduff Express
Forest Gunner (Twice)
Katarino
Scots Grey (twice)
Christy Beamish
Trust Fund
Cloudy LaneIt’s often stated that horses have to be of a certain standard, here’s a list of horses who have ran in The Gold Cup, who have failed to get round.
Bonanza Boy
Golden Freeze
Cool Ground
The Fellow
Black Humour
Chatham
Master Oats
Challenger Du Luc
Banjo
Nahthen Lad
Senor El Betrutti
Double Thriller
Escartefigue
The Last Fling
Rince Ri
Marlborough
Alexander Banquet (twice)
You’re Agoodun
First Gold
Take The Stand (twice)
Ballycassidy (three times)
L’Ami
Monkerhostin
Tikram
Iznogoud
Idle Talk (twice)
My Will
Iron Man (three times)
Knowhere (twice)
Contraband
Ollie Magern
Madison Du Berlais
Calgary Bay
Tidal Bay
Weird Al
SynchronisedI think that’s enough, without having to list horses who have won or went close in The Other Nationals, The Whitbread, The Hennessy, Racing Post Chase etc, or who have jumped round safely enough in another Grand National(s), only to fall another time, and Cheltenham Festival winners.
** After what happened to Synchronised, here’s a look at Gold Cup Winners from my time, who’ve tackled the fences at any point.
Davy Lad – Fell in 77
"Tied Cottage" – Fell in 78
Alverton – Fell in 79
The Thinker
Garrison Savannah (1 non-complete through no fault of his own)
Cool Ground – Fell in 92 Becher Chase
The Fellow – Fell in 94
Master Oats – Fell in 94
Synchronised – Fell in 2012For me the race was horrific with over half the field gone with only 13 fences jumped and for once I thought this was quite a classy field of proven jumpers.
Over 30 runners makes the race more like watching a disaster waiting to happen,I ended up watching for fallen horses to get up, not what was going well or jumping well surely that should not be the case.
This year’s national did nothing to promote the sport at all and gave more ammo to the anti’s with the tragic fatalities and farcical events at the start with a bit of elastic, surely aintree could advance its starting procedure a little better by now.
Everyone I have discussed the race with since, some knowledgable racing fans, some not, have said they would not watch the race again, if we are to keep this race then something drastic has to be done as in its present state it can hardly be called sport."I always have a bet, you’ve got to haven’t you, but I don’t like to watch it"
Thus spake a ‘once-a-year-punting’ friend of mine yesterday
Make of that what you will
If most of the people who bet on the National are once a year punters who don’t know one end of a horse from another, maybe we could have a race full of Swing Bills and Tharawaats, both of whom carried my 50 pence each way, got round in their own time and jumped [from what I could see] beautifully and safely. Race will probably take 5 minutes longer to complete, but that doesn’t matter; Ch 4 will have time to have one of their ‘you’ll miss nothing’ commercial breaks [they probably will anyway].
Wow Venture to Cognac (lovely horse he was!)– that’s a detailed and interesting set of lists! My very brief ones where off the top of my head – but I knew there would be a lot more examples!
In this year’s race I felt that Viking Blond would not do well – did think he might get further than the first though! – due to inexperience – had competed in only 5 chases. However Cappa Bleu was also relatively inexperienced – 6 chases and 6 point-to-points – but he ran a blinder to finish very well and take 4th!
The likes of State of Play – creditable placings last 3 years – then unships rider early on and only just kept upright himself – shows that even much experience doesn’t guarantee a safe round – 90+ National fences cleared then whoops …
Then of course Red Rum – 5 times round – 150 fences cleared – and I think he only made one minorish error – but who knows on his 6th appearance he may have gone at the first?!
So my thoughts that maybe there should be some criteria of experience looks like a no go …
Some people have suggested that the fences look different to the horses so they don’t jump them well – not sure that matters myself – as I feel all trainers would give them some schooling over that type of fence surely? But if it was considered a problem how about having a park type fence on the take off side and a dressed National on the landing side – then it would still look like Aintree in the photos??!
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