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I’ve not gone through the replays of Bravemansgame’s career but he has shown more than once that trips over more than 3 miles stretch him to limit. He has never won a race even a yard beyond 3 miles.
He was out on his feet after the last in the National, in fact so badly he ended up beaten by 90 lengths into a pointless 15th.
The only difference is Bravemansgame didn’t collapse. Anyone critical of Nolan might like to explain why Reveley’s refusal to pull up wasn’t also questioned.
Walking On Air pulled up very lame and a jockey taken away in an ambulance. Don’t think we’ve heard the last about this race today particularly following on so soon after last week events.
Was that watered ground even safe today?
It’s time people (especially those who follow horse racing) got off Nolan’s back instead of asking why didn’t he get off Celebre’s.
I’ve watched the race from the 3rd last over a dozen times and have come to the conclusion he did little wrong. The horse was leading coming into the 2nd last. After the 2nd last he stops riding, gives the horse a very gentle tap between the last two fences and pops the last.
Bravemansgame emptied just as quickly from the last and carried onto the line. He didn’t collapse so I assume that makes it a better ride in some people’s eyes?!
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.
RedRum77. The race I grew up with had drama, unpredictably, bravery. We could all see the ultimate challenge for what it was. The level of anticipation on the day itself and before the start. The take your breath away moments as you sat spellbound in front of the TV. The number of these magnificent beasts charging like the cavalry from some bygone era, the colours, the sound. The stories that tugged at your heart. Yes there was tragedy too. That was the Grand National when I was growing up. What we have now is a very poor imitation of the race to fit in with the sensitivities of the 21st Century. To be honest I wouldn’t be bothered now if they never ran it again.
Perhaps the name of the race is the real issue nowadays. To the anti’s the name Grand National is enough to stir them into keyboard frenzy and much more.
As racing fans we know it’s not the Grand National anymore. Why even kid ourselves. It’s certainly not like the race I watched spellbound as a child.
Why not rename it the Liverpool Handicap Chase? The People’s National? The English National? The Red Rum Staying Chase? That will confuse enough of them for long enough!
How about adding another pre qualifying rule that you’ve finished a race over 4 miles. That might add a few more of those races to the calendar which have been slowly disappearing over the years and allow a few more of the ‘plodders’ like Mr Vango to have a go.
The qualification you had to finish in the first 4 in a 3 mile chase was a stupid rule anyway. You could be a 2 mile chaser but finish 3 fences behind in a 4 runner 3 mile race.
A couple of points Honeysdad. I agree about the timing of the race although Easter & Cheltenham get in the way but the one thing they could do is run the race a lot earlier on the day before the heat sets in and ground quickens up.
As for the age and number of runs. A couple of trends are already starting to appear. You do need a young horse that has run less than 10 times over fences. As shown with the Gold Cup NH racing is becoming a younger horse sport.
The Mullins whip ban shows his ride was no better than Nolan. Nolan tapped Celebre once between the last 2 fences. Mullins was over the limit and had his horse collapsed after the line imagine the fallout from that. A bit like Ballabriggs looking exhausted after winning the National after being struck multiple times.
As this is a showcase race watched by hundreds of millions worldwide a more stringent whip rule wouldn’t go out of place for the National.
If you ban 13 year olds from the race (didn’t two finish 1st & 2nd in the Welsh National a few years ago) then what happens should a 12 year old collapse on a steamy hot April day next year?
Nothing like backing yourself into a corner which is pretty much what the BHA and Aintree executive have been doing for the last decade.
The problem with the current situation is that Closutton has become such a behemoth that it’s almost becoming a monopoly in Grade 1 races. He can send battalions whilst other stables might just have the one runner to try and compete.
I know why owners go to him under the mantra of if you can’t beat them then join them. Yet again it was a British owner winning the National on Saturday. The 3rd placed horse was too. Those British owners might like to consider where such dominance (and it’s getting worse year on year) is going to leave British racing?
It will also have an effect on breeding as if only the ‘dregs’ are left after the Mullins large team and contacts source all the best horses, what then is the point of buying a horse if they can only compete in low grade races and barely recoup any money?
I’m starting to think that some financial incentive should be made to encourage owners to have horses trained in Britain if they are aimed at Grade 1 races.
No doubt we will still be discussing this after the Cheltenham & Aintree Festivals next year, and the year after and so on.
The fact in the 3 races he has run in with padded hurdles has led to a bad mistake and then 2 falls might be the issue. Is he misjudging the distance with these new obstacles?
Willie Mullins comes across as such a decent chap it’s difficult to begrudge his dominance.
I was predicting him winning the UK trainers title last season after Cheltenham and after this years Festival it felt like a case of Deja vu and Aintree has now confirmed it.
I wouldn’t want to see a return to the number of winners deciding the Trainers title and end up with the unedifying sight of the Pipe/Nicholls era when horses were being run numerous times in quick succession in the last few weeks of the season.
Prize money is too dominated by the two Spring Festivals including the National. Off the top of my head why not have a scoring system? Say winner of a Class 1 winner 5 points all the way down to Class 5 winner 1 point. Perhaps bonus points races.
Are the white hurdles causing him to take off too early? How many times has he jumped them in a race?
The Mares Hurdle needs to be a Grade 2 with penalties or a 0-150 race. If it’s to keep its Grade 1 status run it at the Cheltenham April meeting or end of season meeting at Sandown.
The Thursday of the meeting was a mess. 4 big field handicaps on one day. Not helped by the fact the Grade 2 Mares Novices also had a big field that day.
What is most disturbing was the lack of British trained runners in the Grade 1 events. Not sure how long some are going to bury their heads in the sand over this as the situation gets worse year on year but somebody needs to find a solution and fast.
Finally I would go back to 3 days like a number of people but realise that ship has sailed long ago.
