Victims of Hillsborough disaster to be remembered on Grand National day

The victims of the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989 are to be remembered on Randox Grand National Day this year.

Aintree racecourse will commemorate the 97 Liverpool fans who lost their lives with a minute’s applause.

The date of the Hillsborough disaster was April 15, which means Grand National Day in 2023 falls on its exact 34th anniversary.

Sir Kenny Dalglish, manager of Liverpool Football Club at the time, said: “My thoughts are always with everyone affected by what happened at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989, and the anniversary each year is always a poignant day for the city of Liverpool.

“It is a fantastic gesture by Aintree racecourse and the Jockey Club to remember those who lost their loved ones in this way. It might be 34 years since 97 people went to a football match and didn’t come home, but moments like this show that they will never be forgotten.”

Jockey Club regional director, Dickon White, said: “With Grand National Day falling on the exact anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster for the first time ever in 2023, it seems only right that we will take some time to remember the 97 people who tragically lost their life that day.”

Sedgefield to undergo resurfacing work

Sedgefield Racecourse will undergo significant work to its racing surface over the summer with Arena Racing Company (ARC) investing to alter the historical topography of the final bend.

Five of Sedgefield’s meetings at the end of 2022 were transferred to other racecourses, including its traditional Boxing Day meeting, after Sweet Auburn and Thermusa were fatally injured in separate incidents in a 2m4f hurdle at the Durham track on November 3.

That meeting was cancelled with two races remaining and after a thorough investigation of the racing surface, the final bend was realigned. However, more substantial work on the track will begin immediately after Sedgefield’s season finale on Friday, April 14.

Managing Director of ARC’s Racing Division, Mark Spincer, said: “Reconfiguration of the bend and its camber represents a significant civil engineering project, which will get under way following the end of the season in April.

“We anticipate that the majority of the ground works will take between six and eight weeks after which our team will work to re-establish the grass sward across the affected area.”

Sedgefield’s Ladies Day event, which usually take places in August, has been brought forward to April 14 to accommodate the work.

Spincer added: “We look forward to getting under way with the project, before working with colleagues at BHA with regards recommencing racing in August.”

Ralph Beckett re-elected as NTF president

Ralph Beckett was elected president of the National Trainers Federation (NTF) for a second term at the organisation's AGM on Thursday.

The Classic-winning trainer will hold the position for 2023-24, following on from the two-term presidencies of Emma Lavelle, Ann Duffield and Seamus Mullins.

NTF members were also informed of an amendment to the structure of the body with the introduction of a "consultation model to ensure the view of trainers are always accurately reflected" when industry discussions were taking place.

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