Fatalities highlight pressing need for reform

What we should have been talking about after the 2012 Grand National was the wonderful performance by winner Neptune Collonges, who rallied under a stirring ride from jockey Daryl Jacob to pip leader Sunnyhillboy on the line in one of the most exciting finishes in Aintree history. Instead, the death of two horses during the race, including Synchronised, the highly recognisable and hugely popular winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup just a month previously, have dominated the post-race discussion and cast a dark shadow over the most famous race in the world. Four fatalities in the past two runnings of the increasingly controversial national have given fresh ammunition to those anti-horseracing campaigners to whom the race is barbaric, and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) can expect to come under intense pressure and scrutiny in the coming weeks as they launch their investigation into yesterday’s events. Some emotionally-charged condemnation from many quarters followed the race, including the worldwide trending of ‘banhorseracing’ on Twitter, a roll off the tongue statement that ignores the unique nature of the national and the comparatively tiny ratio of horses that die in flat racing. However, the criticisms, reasoned or ridiculous, have highlighted the need for reform of the Grand National, and horseracing cannot take a lone stance against this turning tide of public opinion.

Making a handful of fences slightly smaller will not do this time; for the BHA, there needs to be a bold move in the direction of making the race much safer to minimise the risk of fatalities. If they do nothing, and next year’s national passes without incident, they will breathe a sigh of relief, thus prolonging the inevitable outcry when another horse perishes in the race. If they do nothing and more scenes such as those witnessed yesterday take place in future nationals, protests and boycotts could be mobilised, and horseracing will risk losing the support of the public, which of course sustains the Grand National. Therefore, action must be taken, and it must be decisive. For me, a maximum of 30 runners, a uniformly smaller height and less severe drop on all fences, and a stricter qualification process for horses are all measures that are realistic and could make the race a significantly safer one. While this may be relinquishing some fine Grand National tradition, it is vital that the BHA take a conciliatory approach to reform rather than a defensive one, which could isolate the racing community and alienate the British public. Society is moving on, with health and safety concerns taking on ever-increasing importance in modern sport, and racing needs to do likewise, both for the safety of the horses and to retain the support of a disenchanted public.