NEPTUNE COLLONGES TO BE PARADED AT WARWICK RACECOURSE

** Due to 15mm of rain overnight, racing at Warwick racecourse has been abandoned. 
Updated 09:35 21/11/12

Grand National winner Neptune Collonges will be paraded at Warwick racecourse tomorrow (Wednesday) following his success in the Aintree event.

Photo by Meteorshoweryn taken from Flickr

Fresh from Al Ferof's victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup Steeplechase at Cheltenham on Saturday, owner John Hales will be at the 2012 champion's side in front of the crowd at the jumps fixture.

The Grand National in April was perhaps one of the most exciting and adrenaline-rushing races this country has ever witnessed.

Paul Nicholls' grey pulled a nostril in front of Sunnyhill Boy at the very last second of the race, leaving thousands of people stunned at his and jockey Daryl Jacob's superb effort.

He was immediately retired after the race.

Not only is the horse a wonder of the track, he is a star in dressage, where he recently won in a competition with a score of 79 per cent, thanks to Hales' daughter, Lisa, who re-trained him.

I hope that a large crowd turns out at Warwick tomorrow because I feel that Nicholls' first ever Grand National winner is a legend in his own right.

Kauto Star and Denman have often over-shadowed Neptune's talent as they all belonged to the same yard but since the grey burst onto the Aintree track this year he has definitely proved that he is in the same league as his superstar stablemates.

Neptune Collonges was purchased by Highflyer Bloodstock who sponsor The Highflyer Four Year Old Chase, the only race for four year olds in the racing calendar.

Neptune Collonges is one of racing's greatest talents and I hope that he will remembered for a long time. 

MY VIEW ON OTHER GRAND NATIONAL OPINIONS

Reading through a number of articles about this year's Grand National and people's opinions towards the event has made me realise that professionals and punters in horse racing now have to unite to defend the sport that they love.


Every time I flicker through an article on the deaths of Gold Cup champion Synchronised and According To Pete, I am faced with angry people who know nothing about the sport, claiming that horse racing is cruel and unnecessary.

Photo by Meteorshoweryn (Creative Commons) from Flickr

As a person who has loved and admired the sport from an early age, I believe that now is the best and most important time for jockeys, trainers and owners to unite and defend their decisions that are made in horse racing.

Putting down a horse is a sad thing to happen but sometimes it is necessary: if those who work in the sport can understand the risk (i.e trainers and owners) then why can't other people?

Another absurd idea is to ban The Grand National. The event is the biggest jump race in Europe as the prize money is near £1 million.

Banning the race will therefore put people out of a job and Aintree, as well as Great Britian, will lose its status of being the host of a huge sporting event.

The horses who run in The Grand National spend months enduring training that their owners specifically set.

They are therefore prepared for the four mile race and are not thrown into the challenge without the training that is required.

Yes, I agree that it is upsetting when horses have to be put down as a result of a fractured leg or a broken shoulder but it is the kindest thing to do.

During a race, if a horse does fall and fracture its leg, it has so much adrenaline pumping through its body it cannot feel the pain.

As the fracture cannot be fixed and before the horse can feel the agonising pain, it is put down, a decision that trainers and owners are sometimes faced with.

But then again, they understand the risk and I hate the thought of Synchronised and According To Pete's deaths constantly overshadowing the closest finish ever witnessed.

So here's to a fantastic win by Neptune Collonges - a fantastic horse that has always been living in his stablemates' shadows - Kauto Star and Denman - but has now deservedly won the biggest race of them all.

SHOULD HORSE RACING BE BANNED? - NO

The Grand National has finished for another year and yet again the sport has created negative headlines around the country.


Two horses had to be put down after yesterday's event: Gold Cup champion Synchronised and According To Pete tragically fractured legs so it was decided that they had to be let go.


It is upsetting to see talented horses lose their lives because of such incidents, but what many people do not realise, especially those who think horse racing should be banned, is that destroying the animals after these accidents is the kindest thing to do.


When a horse races it has a lot of adrenaline pumping through it's body - as would any other athlete in different sports. 


So, before it can feel the pain of a fracture, for example, the kindest thing to do for it is to destroy it.


If a human were to fracture his/her leg, then it can easily be fixed: crutches and casts will be used for several weeks. But with a horse it is different. 


The creatures are huge and repairing a fracture is impossible. If this does happen, killing the horse is therefore seen as the best, and the right thing to do. You cannot let a horse suffer. 


Horse racing should not be banned - it is a much loved sport throughout the country and if it was to stop, then the horses will serve no purpose.


Race horses are born and bred for racing. It's their job. Those people who are ignorant enough to say that horse racing is a cruel sport should spend several weeks at a trainer's stable and watch how a horse is trained, prepared and looked after. They would then be able to see how much love and attention is put in by owners and trainers to make the sport as safe as possible for their horses.


Also, if the sport was to be banned, hundreds of people will lose their jobs. One thing that this country has always moaned about is the number of people who are unemployed. It would not help matters, in fact I believe it would make things worse. 


I hold strong opinions and even though I'm only expressing my view through words, I hope it reaches a wide audience. 


I hope non-horse racing fans will learn to appreciate the sport through this blog article and will learn that time and effort goes into the sport to ensure that horses are well treated and kept safe.


Unfortunately, like every sport, accidents happen. Horse racing has that low risk. People need to understand that. 


If the professionals understand the risk, then everyone else should.