Several recommendations and modifications have already been
announced by Aintree racecourse and the BHA ahead of the 2013 Grand National,
including a change to the start of the race.
In hope that the mayhem will be reduced or stop all together the
start will be moved forward by 90 yards, making the distance of the National
event 4 miles 3 1/2 furlongs, having previously been 4m 4f.
Synchronised,
who tragically died after last year’s Grand National, was clearly frantic at
the start and many argued that the horse was not fit to run on the day.
Having
the start a few yards further down the track is a step in the right direction
as taking the horses further away from the
grandstand will make them calmer and less troubled by the immense sounds of the
crowd, therefore leading to fewer false starts.
Other changes include doubling the distance of the 'no-' zone to
30 yards from the starting tape. Research will also be taken
into the design of the fences in an attempt to make its central
"core" more forgiving.
Once
the race begins next year, the Grand National will not look or be the same
again. The reason why a review has been conducted is because of the deaths of
Synchronised and According to Pete last year.
Personally,
I believe the Grand National should cut the number of entries to 30. Having 40
horses on the course at once running at the speed that they do is the most
dangerous aspect of the race. If a horse falls after a fence, unharmed, they
are in danger’s way of another horse landing on them and causing a
serious and life-threatening injury.
It is too crowded for everyone and I honestly
think that that is the main reason to why there have been a number of deaths
and injuries over the last few years.
But
the number will not be cut and a call by Gavin Grant, the chief executive of
the RSPCA for removal of Becher’s
Brook has also been resisted.
I
can only imagine what will happen from 2014 to the future of the Grand
National. But I suppose that it will no longer be in control of the BHA. This
year they succumbed to the pressure of having to react to the public and
RSPCA’s outcry.
But
a horse will die within the next few years of the event. No doubt about it. It
is a risk that the trainers, owners and jockeys know about and are willing to
take. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t even take part. When another fatal
accident happens, everything will blow out of proportion again and the BHA will
again feel the need to take action.
Changes to the position of the starter's rostrum and the
visibility of the starting tape will also be implemented and a pre-race
briefing between the starter and jockeys is also scheduled to take place.
The landing side of fences 4, 5 and 13 will be levelled out,
while the wider landing side of Becher's Brook has undergone further levelling
to correct the settlement which occurred following works carried out in 2011.
A further £100,000 will be invested in further improving the
course's watering abilities, while another catching pen for loose horses will
be tried out in the region of fence 4.
I really believe that the changes are an overreaction but I
understand why they have happened. We should be thankful that the sport is
attracting more people, even if they don’t follow the sport. But the Grand
National is famed for its risk and fences, so why change it now?
