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Critics from Animal Aid are saying 13yo Celebre D’Allen should not have been allowed to run in the “most gruelling race in the country”, but is it?
Conditions obviously play a part but I would think this seasons Betfair Chase to name one was more arduous than the National.The more I know the less I understand.
Its the usual line of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story i guess.
The Betfair was certainly one, ive seen some long distance hurdle races this season that certainly came across in similar fashion
In terms of extreme distance combined with remarkably fast pace I’d say it qualifies.
Worldwide the Czech Grand Pardubice is without a doubt the most grueling race and 12-13yos run in that pretty regularly without incident.
The Maryland Hunt Cup is pretty tough too, surely the most grueling race in the USA, and in the last 25 years three 13yos and two 14yos have won. The 16yo(!) Vintage Vinnie is nominated for this year’s Maryland Hunt Cup and if he runs well in his prep this weekend we’ll likely see him there vying for his 3rd win in the 4-mile timber race.
Due to its length and the pace it is run at, I am sure the National remains well up there in terms of gruelling races. But a case could certainly be made for certain other races being even more so, especially those on heavy ground.
At one time Aintree and the BHA would have embraced the National being described as the world’s most gruelling race, but I think they would recoil in horror at that description now.
That comment just proves they really don’t know anything about the sport than just at a surface level – any of the races run at, around or over a 4m trip (especially when the ground is particularly testing) imho would be just as gruelling a race as the National.
This years Midlands National at Uttoxeter won by Mr Vango is just ½F shorter than the National trip, both races were run on officially good to soft ground yet Mr Vango’s time was 6.73sec slower. Just under 44% of the field completed at Uttoxeter, whilst just over 44% of the field completed the Aintree course. The heavy ground renewal of the 2024 Eider Chase at Newcastle run over a distance 1F less than the Grand National took 2.36sec longer to run.
I know they are not a strict like for like comparison as (following the many changes) you now have a significantly higher level of horse running at Aintree but it does show that the other extreme long distance chases can be just (if not potentially more) gruelling to compete in.
Id add the 4 mile 1/2 furlong Hunter chase at Cheltenham in May, often they are walking up the hill.
They have obviously never watched a long distance chase at Ffos Las on heavy ground. That wouldn’t be high profile enough to drive people to their website or to be emotionally blackmailed into making donations.
The animal rights mob really are ignorant about horses,equine welfare & management apart from the fact that it is cruel & too gruelling in their words.
Often they don’t even know in which race a horse died.I have FB friends who are anti & they were saying Willy Du Houelle died in the National etc etc or go on about the huge fences & drops & talk about incidents from decades ago.
They know nothing about the sport apart from their entrenched views.Its why Kevin Blake was able to show them up for the ignorant people they are.The National is for equine wimps compared to the cross country phase of the three day event at Badminton.
Thirty fences, none of which can be kicked out of the way, a water jump that actually involves getting the hooves wet and the duration for each horse is approx 13 minutes. And all that after they’ve jumped round a standard steeplechase course as a warm up.
The irony of the current state of the National is that the stiffest ‘Aintree fence’ in use now, is the one on the Cheltenham X country track.
2 miles on the Lingfield hurdles track on heavy going is a challenge.
The problem with the National now is that with the fences lowered, distance & field size reduced, drops removed the race is run at such a pace no horse can get a breather in. Add a bit of heat and drying track to the equation in April at 4pm and no wonder some of them cut out so quickly.
Apracing
I would love to see these animal rights campaigners take in The Princess Royal & Zara Tindall over eventing.
They would get very short shrift.
Deservedly.Fair point @apracing.
The “steeplechase phase” of eventing was removed twenty years ago, on the basis it was too gruelling.
It’s still a significant test though.
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