Two horses die in Scottish Grand National

TWO horses died during the running of yesterday's Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

The deaths follow two equine fatalities at the Grand National at Aintree last weekend.

However, unlike at Aintree, neither of yesterday's fatalities was as the result of a fall. Regal Heights died of a suspected heart attack while Minella Four Star is thought to have died of internal bleeding.

They are the first fatalities at the Scottish Grand National since 2002.

Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool, was forced to defend its safety record last week after the Grand National was marred by the deaths of two horses and a serious head injury to a jockey in a previous race.

Rider Peter Toole, 22, was taken to Walton Neurological hospital after a fall in the second race of the day left him unconscious. He was placed into an induced coma to help deal with serious head injuries and is in a stable condition in the critical care unit.

The death at Aintree of horses Ornais and Dooney's Gate led to two fences being omitted on the second circuit. Hundreds of millions of global TV viewers saw distressing images of tarpaulins covering the stricken horses, prompting criticism from animal rights activists.