Racing's rulers should consider a reduction in the number of runners in the Grand National, according to David Muir, racing consultant for the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare. Saturday's Grand National was the first since 2012 in which a runner suffered fatal injuries, when Up For Review was brought down by a faller at the first fence.
“I’ve always been a bit concerned about the numbers in the race,” Muir said. “Forty is a lot of horses. I would prefer to see that looked at. Other than that, I’m not sure there’s a lot more they can do with the racecourse.
“If you look at the other races, they seem to have less issues,” Muir added, alluding to the Foxhunters’ and the Topham, also run over the National fences last week but with only 27 runners in each. “At the end of the day, the National is still a race that has an element of concern for everybody. It has improved greatly. But that improvement must continue.
“We’ve put a lot of work into Aintree and how many fell at Becher’s? None. It’s part of a journey. I don’t think we can put a full stop on it and say: ‘We’re done.’”
Unprompted, Muir singled out Andrew Tulloch, Aintree's clerk of the course and director of racing, as deserving of praise for improvements made at the course over several years. "He's a guy that genuinely believes in horse welfare," Muir said.
The National’s field size of 40 has been in place since 1984 and was approved by a review in 2011. Contrary to one or two reports, no formal review involving the British Horseracing Authority has been triggered by the racing at Aintree last week, when there were two other equine fatalities, one involving a horse who broke a leg while running on the flat. Tulloch and his team will conduct their annual exercise of considering what might be done better in future.
“We look at everything, we’ll discuss everything once the dust has settled,” Tulloch said. “There’s a lot to look at. It’s doing as much as we can to make it as enjoyable a race as we all want it to be. It’s talking to everyone, we’re all in this. Hopefully people think we’re approachable. We all have a responsibility within racing to understand that there are risks and we can minimise those, but we can’t eradicate them.”
Among the things Tulloch will consider is the space available on the outer edge of the course if the runners are directed around a fence on the second circuit. An unprecedented 37 were still in the race when the field had to bypass the 17th fence and there was barely a spare inch as they did so. Tulloch praised the jockeys involved for “sensible riding”.
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