2012 Grand National

Shrews · Group 2 Class Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 109

As much as I love racing and especially the jumps, I do think major changes are needed to help prevent the number of fatalities (twice as many as the NH average) The powers of be just don't do enough IMO.

I don't buy into the whole argument of 'making it easier will ruin the race'. It won't, this is the publics race, the race for a once in a year bet, the public will bet on it no matter how easy it is.

I have never heard anyone say 'i'm not betting on the National because they've made it easier' Personally, i'd like a few changes to see if they do the trick.

- Increased watering to try and ensure softer ground
- 4m maximum distance (and not just The National)
- 30 runners, not 40
- Bechers should only be jumped once
- All fences lowered by 6 inches

With National Hunt racing in general, I believe no horse should ever be expected to jump on Firm ground EVER. With that in mind there should never be any Summer jumps meetings. The Flat is for the Summer, the jumps are for the Winter.

I love racing, but I do want to see changes in The National. I will still love it and bet on it anyway and I reckon the public would too.

The National is the greatest horse race on Earth because the public get so involved. It will remain a great horse race even with the changes above because the public will still get involved.

If it doesn't change and more die again next year then the public will turn away from the race in their droves and that's when it will start to become 'just another horse race'

deswalker · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 11:58 am Post subject:

So you want to abolish The National Shrews? That's fine, I imagine your views are fairly representative of the majority of the public. But what happens when there are 2 fatalities in the rehashed race? (Note that is WHEN not IF, it will happen one year)

Follow the logic people, if the BHA and Aintree bow to pressure too much it will eventually spell the end for National Hunt racing full stop.

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Liverpool1985 · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:07 pm Post subject:

deswalker · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:17 pm Post subject:

Micko70 · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:20 pm Post subject:

Since 2007 there have been 26 deaths to horses running @ Aintree

But........................................

during the same period there have been 37 deaths to horses running @ Sedgefield including 3 horses on the same day (June 13th 2011)

There have even been 6 deaths to horses running @ Ascot, ON THE FLAT in the same period

Tony McCoy himself as been on 20 horses since 2007 that have lost their life during a race

Although it's very sad to see any horse lose his/her life it's only when they are seen by Millions on TV do people campaign

I don't think i have ever seen a campaign to ban horse racing after any of those deaths at Sedgefield

All the details regarding horse deaths at every racecourse can be found by clicking HERE

Liverpool1985 · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:24 pm Post subject:

boodah · Group 1 Class Joined: 08 Feb 2012 Posts: 253

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/
a very enlightening comment from BHA

deswalker · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 1:23 pm Post subject:

That does make things clearer. Both were clearly freak incidents.
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STUBBLE · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 1:58 pm Post subject:

My worry for the race is one safety improvement made to appease animal rights groups was to improve the quality of horse in the race, not unreasonably suggesting that poorer horses posed more of a threat to themselves and other horses in the race. Those wanting to see the race abolished can point to a Gold Cup winner dying in the race, regardless of the circumstances.

If there are any changes to be made, I would like to see the landing side on Bechers raised. I know this has been done to some extent but I don't see how having a fence that causes virtually every horse to land on their nose really adds to the spectacle of the race. The race is meant to be a test of a horse's jumping, not its landing.

I would be wary of making too many changes as diluting the unique test that the National represents too much could ultimately bland the race into extinction.
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MartynCarlisle23 · Group 2 Class Joined: 24 Feb 2012 Posts: 187

Neptune Collonges has been retired. What a way to bow out. Wonderful horse.
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adimale · 2yo Joined: 10 Mar 2012 Posts: 1

Its massively sad that the Gold Cup winner was lost and you could tell from the build up that AtP was a massively loved horse, not just a racehorse but a pet. The anti-racing factions will jump on anything untowards, but this is painfully misdirected and misguided this year. Making the fences smaller is ridiculous, they will just go faster and cause more deaths when any mistake is made.

There is a simple solution, make the fences narrower, fewer runners and give more space for any fallers to run so they don't HAVE to jump to follow the others around. Currently there is no space for a loose horse to follow the pack once it has fallen, so tries to jump every fence. With more space away from the fences the horses will run around them.

According to Pete was a freak accident and should be treated as such. This year the fences were NOT to blame for the fatalaties, just what happened afterwards. AtP could've faced the same problem from Aintree to Folkestone as could Synchronised if it was forced to jump once AP had fallen.

stainto · 2yo Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 2

Some great points here re the fatalities, as pointed out we're all ( I would think) upset when there are deaths, I certainly was and ended up having a barney with the wife who accused me of hypocrisy after having invested so much time and effort trying to pick a winner (probably would have been less critical if I'd been on Neptune Collonges!) AtP particularly galled me after the lovely build-up story - the last thing the owner said was "I just hope he comes back safe" Synchronised slightly different for me - I'm not a fan of Gold Cup runners going in the GN and he never looked like a GN type of horse for me.

Anyway my two penno'rth is that I've loved the National since I was 7 (1977 being my first - I think there were fatalities that year) but nothing will change my view. The people who really boil my p--- are the once a year tourist animal welfarers who think we're all bloodthirsty bullfighting equivalents - either oppose racing 52 weeks a year or not at all!

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