14.04.12 - THE GRAND NATIONAL

Aintree Racecourse Statement on the John Smith's Grand National 2012

AINTREE RACECOURSE STATEMENT

Aintree Racecourse today commented on the accidents in this year’s John Smith’s Grand National in which Synchronised and According To Pete received fatal injuries as a result of separate incidents.  

Julian Thick, Managing Director, said: “We are desperately sad at these two accidents and our sympathies are with the connections of both horses. When a horse gets hurt, everyone is deeply upset. Safety is the first priority for the organisers of the Grand National and we make every effort to ensure that everyone involved in the event is able to participate in safety.

“Horseracing is a sport that is very carefully regulated and monitored by the British Horseracing Authority, but risk can never be completely removed. All horses and riders in the Grand National have to meet very high standards set by an independent panel of experts. The Grand National is a professional and well-organised race. Only the best horses and the best jockeys are allowed to enter.

“Since last year’s race we have made further significant changes to the course and there have been four races run over the course without serious incident since then. After today, we will, as always, be looking at all aspects of this year’s race to see how we can improve safety further. We work closely with animal welfare organisations, such as the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make sure we are up to date with the latest thinking and research regarding welfare and safety.”  

Prior to the start Synchronised was thoroughly checked by a racecourse vet after getting loose.