Grand National review aims for better safety

A BRITISH Horseracing Authority review into the Grand National has been completed, leading to the publication of 30 recommendations designed to “continue enhancing safety and welfare” at the Aintree showpiece.

The four-and-a-half-mile contest was the subject of negative headlines this year after two horses died, and a number of horses, including the winner, Ballabriggs, were dismounted after the line. However, the dismounting was a pre-planned contingency and was on the instruction of officials, a fact the BHA concede was not communicated as well as it might have been to the public at the time.

Several changes relating to the structure and groundwork around fences in the race were announced in August. Among the recommendations published yesterday are that the age of horses eligible to be entered be increased from six to seven, and that all runners in the race must have finished fourth or better in a steeplechase over three miles or further.

Other recommendations include various elements of pre and post-race procedures being reviewed and enhanced, bypassing of fences to continue with customised equipment, and improved processes for identifying and responding to weather-related risks.

Away from the main review, the BHA’s Jump Racing sub-committee has resolved that the current minimum rating for runners in the National be increased from 110 to 120 from 2012.

BHA chairman Paul Roy said: “The Grand National is one of Britain’s great sporting institutions.

“It is a unique event watched by many tens of thousands at Aintree and tens of millions of people around the world. A key reason for its enduring popularity is that it is the most challenging race in Great Britain and a supreme sporting test for jockeys and horses alike.

“The sad events at the 2011 Grand National demonstrated the risks that this race can present and rightly focused world attention on one of the British Horseracing Authority’s core objectives: to protect the safety and welfare of racing’s human and equine participants.

“The Review Group has submitted recommendations that will enhance the safety and welfare of jockeys and horses participating in the race, whilst removing none of the magic that makes the Grand National one of the most exciting, best-loved and enduring sporting events in the world.”

Tim Morris, director of equine science and welfare for the BHA, said: “We have learned some valuable lessons from the events of 2011, one of which is that we need to work harder and be more effective at communicating our positive, proactive welfare work.

“For example, the scenes of jockeys dismounting and water and oxygen being made available to horses post the Grand National were mistakenly interpreted as evidence of extreme fatigue on the part of the horses when, in fact, the measures were designed to be pre-planned and preventative.”

Julian Thick, managing director of Aintree, said: “We welcome today’s report and thank the BHA for its insights and recommendations. Aintree has played an active part in the review process and has already announced and implemented some of the recommended changes to Grand National course and fence design. In the coming weeks and months, we will continue to implement these recommendations to further enhance safety at the course.”