'These people won't give up until the race is gone' - readers have their say on the Grand National changes
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We haven't had such a hefty post bag since we asked for your comments about racecourses going cashless. Everyone has a view on the Grand National and therefore everyone has a view on the changes to the race which were announced last week, and on which we sought your opinions.
We got more letters in 24 hours than we would normally print in the Front Runner over the course of a month. So rather than spread them out over weeks, or try to jam them all in at the bottom of the page, we decided to use today's edition to summarise the arguments expressed.
Before we do, here's something I found over the weekend – the BHA's review of the Grand National from 2011, in which they also considered the question of field size. This was their conclusion:
"The Review Group found no recurring trend whatsoever of horses systematically failing to get a clear sight of the fences as they prepared to jump them. Virtually all the fallers reviewed during that period [2000 to 2011] had a clear run to the fence where they fell or unseated their jockey.
"Furthermore, the Review Group considered research carried out through its Inspectorate team and established that the average available 'width of fence per horse' on the Grand National course was comparable to the averages for all licensed Jumps courses, including the width of fence per horse at other very high-profile jumps fixtures."
It's a pleasingly detailed rebuttal of the case for reducing the field size and was part of a 55-page report which, whether you agreed with it or not, was clearly a substantial and serious piece of work.
On this occasion, we're being asked to accept the opposite point of view on the basis of a Jockey Club press release, albeit quite a long one.
Anyway, as I anticipated on Friday, a spectrum of views was expressed in your emails. Broadly speaking, I reckoned them to be 60/40 against the changes announced last week but there was a lot of nuance in many of the letters.
Michael O'Shea suggested I was making a mistake in paying any mind to the likely reaction of animal rights organisations. He wrote: "The key questions are, will the changes reduce the risks involved and will the National’s status as an outstanding and unique event be maintained or even perhaps enhanced?
"My answer to both questions is yes. If those answers are correct, then I think the changes should be supported by racing people."
Nick Ryle, a film producer who was involved with the recent movies about Sir Anthony McCoy and Frankie Dettori, described the changes as "sensible and well thought-out". He added: "The welfare issue is not going to go away and all surveys show that it will become an ever bigger issue for younger people . . . so I’m pleased to see racing getting on the front foot.
"Thirty-four is still a huge field and my guess is that it will make little difference to the spectacle. Of course, nothing is ever going to satisfy the extremists but racing must continue to appeal to the vast majority who occupy the middle ground and announcing changes like this will keep them onside."
Clive Noble argued: "All sports have to evolve and adapt or they become not relevant, outdated and pushed to the margins." He took comfort in the number of senior figures within racing who backed the changes and concluded: "I think if you can get a broad consensus from such a strongly opinionated cross-section of racing figures, then you are on the right path."
He praised racing for its willingness to adapt and to plan for the future, contrasting its approach with that of show-jumping, the media profile of which has fallen a long way since the 70s.
"The path we are on now is really only the beginning and there is no going back," Doug Ord told me. "Times change, my friend, and not always for the better."
He was reminded of the outcry when the Northumberland Plate was switched onto the all-weather. "The reality is, they could have changed it to a six-furlong sprint, kept the same name and it would still get the same crowds, most of whom are once-a-year racegoers getting dressed up to have a party and drink lots of champagne..."
Matt Bisogno, editor in chief of the GeeGeez website, saw the changes as broadly good news. Moreover, he felt that the field-size cut to 34 runners would not, in fact, have ruled out Minella Times in 2021 - his canny connections had scope to get him a bit higher in the weights if it was needed, he reckons.
Tony Wells pointed out that owner JP McManus had other runners in that race which he could have withdrawn, if needed, to ensure Minella Times made the cut. "But," he continued, "I’m with you on not reducing the number of runners to 34 from 40. It’ll probably mean a greater percentage of runners for the bigger owners / stables and I’m not convinced that it’ll stop overcrowding on the inside."
He worries about Aintree's focus on providing ground with plenty of juice. "It’s not unusual to get warm days in April and the combination of soft ground, warm weather and a fast-run race is likely to be a recipe for tired horses and fewer finishers - or, worse still, scenes of distressed horses after the finish."
John Pinfold, author of a highly-praised book on Aintree's history, shared many of my concerns about the changes. "I am far from being a die-hard opponent of change," he wrote, "but what has been announced seems to me to be a random collection of ill thought-out measures, many of which may have unintended consequences."
He also felt that animal rights protesters would be emboldened by last week's news. "It's not very often that I say I think Mrs Topham was right, but I can't help feeling the current powers-that-be who run racing could do with some of her robustness when facing opposition of this kind."
Brian Finn noted his respect for Ruby Walsh's views but was himself more worried than the former jockey. He wrote: "The Racing Post reported a comment from one person in the RSPCA as being to the effect of 'We look forward to more changes in the future'. These people won’t give up until the race is gone . . . I don’t know why racing keeps dancing to their tune."
Trevor Pitman was among those who felt the National was gradually losing the things that made it special. "I would personally rather it hadn't been changed from the race I knew in my youth.
"However, it has been modified in response to the greater desire for health and safety in society and the increasing concern for the welfare of animals. Neither show any sign of reducing.
"Are we 'saving' the race by making these changes? My guess is that we're extending its life but unless these societal pressures change, it won't last."
Craig Thornton said the sport's rulers should "hang their heads in shame". Rupert Mackeson and Andy Charity mockingly suggested that perhaps all the fences should be removed, if safety is to be our only focus.
"I think the National will gradually lose some of its unique appeal," said Ian Pithers, "and will become just another valuable steeplechase dominated by top trainers, probably mainly from across the Irish Sea."
Simon Burgess said: "I get the 'race has to evolve' argument and I'm for horse welfare as much as everyone else, but it's not really the Grand National now, is it? It's just another big, regional, long-distance handicap. The fairytales the race has previously generated will simply not be there as much."
"So they think taking six runners out will make a great deal of difference!" said Trevor Richardson. "Yeah, right. In a few years, it [the number of runners] will be down to 26."
But he was one of several who felt more optimistic about the idea of bringing the first fence back towards the stands. Bob Lefroy, who backed Kilmore in 1962, wrote: "Moving the first fence much closer to the start is long overdue."
Mick Drain added: "They should take away the public access leading up to and alongside the first fence, therefore taking away the constant noise revving up the horses.
"They are used to jumping the first fence in a mostly unpopulated area and this must add to their excitement and confusion. This would also allow easier policing against protesters."
Aidan Ryan said he didn't like the handicapper being allowed to penalise horses who had already run well at Aintree and suggested fixing of the weights should be delayed by at least a month until after the Cheltenham Festival. He also feels there is a randomness to the handicapping of Irish horses when they run in Britain and that the BHA should put more faith in the Irish handicapper.
Graham Cox suggests that, if the National is to have a smaller field, "Win and you're in" incentives could be attached to other races from November to February. "Even the winner of the official Grand National trial at Haydock is not guaranteed a place in the real thing," he wrote.
"The obvious races to choose for this bonus would be some of the regional Nationals which have flourished in recent years. It may even increase field sizes in these contests."
Finally, Andrew Gough wrote to say that, in his view, the National "should have been abolished years ago" and that, as an owner, he would never run one of his horses in it.
Monday's picks, by Graeme Rodway
The ground at Musselburgh is holding up well for the time of year and a dry forecast means we could get good going. That makes the Edinburgh track the most appealing for a bet and the British EBF Ruby Anniversary Scottish Premier Fillies’ Handicap (4.10) is the feature.
The one to be on is Kitai, who recorded a solid overall time and finishing speed when easily landing a 6f handicap at Pontefract in July and is well handicapped on that form.
She hasn’t been able to repeat that effort in three runs since, but there were excuses. She reared at the start when tailed off at Goodwood in August and her next run came in Listed company at Pontefract, where she travelled well throughout but found that grade too strong.
Kitai showed more when dropped in class back at Pontefract last month, when she scythed through the field after making a mess of the start to finish just four lengths behind in sixth.
Kitai takes another drop in class here and is definitely capable of producing an improved performance if she can break more sharply and get a better run through at crucial points.
The return to seven furlongs might also suit Kitai, as she won well over the trip on soft ground at Carlisle in June, and this will be her first run at the distance since that success. That might do the trick.
'She should outclass them' - Graeme Rodway returns with three selections on Monday
Three things to look out for today
1. Interesting debutant of the day is Granger Bay, who lines up in the opening novice race at Yarmouth (1.55). Jane Chapple-Hyam's two-year-old colt is a brother to Saffron Beach and fetched €450,000 at auction in September last year. It's worth remembering that Saffron Beach, who retired from the same stable a year ago, was unbeaten in two runs at the end of her juvenile year, landing the Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes. She eventually won the Sun Chariot and the Prix Rothschild, so there's bound to be high hopes around her first full sibling to make the track. Granger Bay opened at 10-1 with several firms last night but has shortened to a best price of 11-2 at the time of writing.
2. Mersea showed a lot of resilience in the face of traffic problems at Pontefract at the end of September, when she kept on trying despite being so badly squashed against the inside rail that she was scrabbling to keep her footing just before the home turn. Stepping back to 5f seemed counter-intuitive the next time and she duly finished well. Today's step up to 7f at Musselburgh (4.10) has been a long time coming and it would be nice to see her get a change of luck.
3. A sweet bit of naming shows up in a 7f novice race on Kempton's card (6.30) this evening with the debut of Godolphin juvenile Catherine Parr. A filly out of the Group 3 winner Majestic Queen, she's named after the last wife of Henry VIII, otherwise known as "Survived" in the famous rhyme. She has other claims to fame, including being the most-married of England's queens (four times in 18 years) and the first woman in Britain to have a book published in her own name; she's buried at Sudeley Castle, near Cheltenham racecourse. It'll be interesting to see if Godolphin continue naming Majestic Queen's foals along these lines, going for the collection of Henry VIII's wives, like Frasier and his coffee set. Catherine Parr, trained by the Gosdens, shortened to 3-1 from 11-2 last night but the market still prefers Enchanted Life, a Charlie Appleby-trained sister to Gifted Master.
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The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.
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