The death of a great champion mars Neptune Collonges Grand National victory
The Grand National ended in the most dramatic of photo finishes but the result was overshadowed by the deaths of two horses, including the favourite.
Synchronised above right which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month and was being ridden by Tony McCoy, the champion jockey, had to be put down by vets after falling at the notorious Becher’s Brook.
Another horse, According to Pete, also had to be destroyed after falling later in the race, which was won by Neptune Collonges, ridden by Daryl Jacob.
Another two animals were injured and only 15 of the 40 starters completed the course. A jockey, Noel Fehily, was last night in hospital with a suspected broken ankle after his horse fell.
The deaths came despite major changes this year to improve the safety of the course.
After the deaths of two horses in last year’s race, the organisers said they had made strenuous attempts to address concerns.
At Becher’s Brook itself, the drop on the landing side of the fence had been reduced, with similar adjustments to other fences.
A cooling down area where the runners can be hosed down after crossing the line, as well as huge electric fans that can be switched on in hot conditions were also added.
There have been fatalities before, but the death of a horse that had just won the most prestigious prize in jump racing has raised questions over the future of the event.
Cornelius Lysaght, the BBC’s horse racing correspondent, said afterwards: “There is no doubt this is a black day for the Grand National and for horse racing.
“Nobody should underestimate it – this is very serious for everyone in the racing industry. A big dark cloud hangs over the Grand National. Its future is in a certain amount of doubt.”
Marcus Armytage, The Sunday Telegraph’s racing correspondent and a former National winner, writes in his article today: “Yesterday’s terrible events have plunged the very existence of the Grand National into a peril it has not seen since Aintree was about to be sold for development in the 1970s.”
He adds: “There will be inquiries and reviews into his death and 'bad luck’ is an answer which will not satisfy
“Continual tinkering with the course has not resulted in a safer race and the authorities have made it clear that occasionally changes to the courses can have unintended consequences.
“The most obvious example of that is a lowering of the fences which, in theory, would make it easier, but in fact is counteracted by the fact that the horses go faster.”
David Muir, the RSPCA equine consultant, said: “We need to look at the number of horses, the jumps, the length of the race. It is work in progress. I think we will see real changes without taking away the ethos of the race. We need to reduce the risk levels and have more finishers.
“When you look at it [horses dying], it’s cruel but I don’t think owners and trainers who have horses here do it to see horses die.
“The ethos of the race has to be kept. Moving forward too quickly can cause further problems than leaving it as it is.” He said if the fences were made too easy, it could increase the speed of the race, leading to more deaths.
Prof Tim Morris, the director of equine science and welfare for the British Horseracing Authority, said both horses had been put down by vets after suffering fractured legs.
“In both cases, the horse incurred a fracture to the leg and the humane option was to put the injured horses down,” he said.
“The Grand National undoubtedly represents a challenge to both horse and rider. It has inherent risks, but, working closely with Aintree and other stakeholders, we do all we can to minimise these risks while maintaining the unique character of the race. We will examine closely the circumstances which led to both incidents.”
Brough Scott, the racing commentator and former jockey, said last night: “Synchronised was a very fine and a very brave horse. This is very sad news. But I believe these incidents are unavoidable. They happen. People go mountaineering and are killed. There are risks in competitive sport.”
The race had been filled with drama even before the start as Ruby Walsh was injured in an earlier race and could not ride On His Own.
McCoy was thrown off by Synchronised even before the start when it was apparently spooked by the starting tape.
The horse cantered off and was caught by a racing photographer.
The horse started the race after being checked by a vet, but fell at just the third fence. Synchronised appeared to take that fence – Becher’s Brook – well, but stumbled and then fell.
The horse got up and ran on, but at some point fractured a leg
Jacob, the winning jockey, had to wait three minutes for a photo finish to confirm that he had ridden the 33-1 Neptune Collonges to victory, just ahead of Sunnyhillboy.
“To be honest, I didn’t even know where the line was. It was that close. I just kept going for another 10 yards. But you cannot beat this feeling,” he said.
Walsh’s sister, Katie, rode Seabass, trained by their father, Ted — and only narrowly failed in her attempt to become the first woman ever to win the National. She was leading after the final fence, but was beaten into third place, the highest placing ever achieved by a female jockey in the race.
John Hales, the owner of Neptune Collonges, had refused to enter a runner for the National before now because of what happened to one of his horses during a different race at Aintree back in 1998. One Man crashed through the ninth fence and collapsed on the ground. The horse was put down.
“Can I just say thank you Aintree after what happened a few years ago?” he said yesterday. “You owed me that one. I am so emotional. But Neptune Collonges will never race again. That’s it.”
Close to tears, he admitted that his decision to enter had split opinion in his family.
“Thank God, today we’ve come up trumps.” Mr Hales, a toy manufacturer, said: “When he came over the last fence I thought: 'Thank God, he is home and well.’ The highs and lows of this sport are exhausting.”
The horse’s trainer, Paul Nicholls, had entered 52 horses in the National before but never won. Asked about the fatalities, he said: “We all know before we come here about the risks. The horses get looked after brilliantly but unfortunately these things do happen.”
There was some sadness on screen, too, as the BBC said goodbye to the race it had broadcast for many years. Channel 4 has won the exclusive rights to terrestrial horse racing from next season.
However, the bookmakers were happy, as bets worth £300 million were placed. David Williams, of Ladbrokes said: “The result could scarcely have been any better. Neptune Collonges slipped off most radars and most of the cheers at Aintree came from the bookies.”
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