Celebre D'Allen post-mortem report says death of Grand National runner not directly caused by post-race collapse

A post-mortem examination carried out on Celebre D'Allen has concluded that the exercise-associated episode which led him to collapse after jumping the last in Saturday's Randox Grand National had ceased to be a factor by the time of his death on Tuesday.

Instead the horse died of complications linked to pleuropneumonia (a lung infection). Although blood tests taken on the day of the race showed no presence of the virus, vets believe it is not possible to definitively separate the emergence of the secondary problem from his run at Aintree on Saturday. 

A statement from the BHA said: "The findings of the post-mortem state that the exercise-associated episode experienced by the horse after the race had concluded by the time of death. 

"However, a severe bacterial respiratory infection [pleuropneumonia] had occurred post-race which led to the horse’s deterioration on Monday evening, with the subsequent onset of sepsis or endotoxaemia [the release of harmful substances into the bloodstream from bacteria] likely to have been a key factor in the cause of death.

"Blood tests taken from the day of the race indicate that the infection had not been present in the horse on raceday, and was therefore developed after the race."

The statement continued: "Further bloods taken on the Monday indicated a severely compromised immune system. These indications had not been present in the bloods taken on the day of the race. This indicates that this issue emerged subsequent to the race and the exercise-associated episode.

"The heart pathology found no issues which are likely to be significant in the death of the horse."

Celebre D'Allen led the Grand National field towards the 29th of the 30 fences alongside third-placed Grangeclare West before fading on the run to the last. 

Jockey Micheal Nolan dismounted from the 13-year-old after jumping the last and Celebre D'Allen collapsed several moments later. 

After receiving extensive treatment on the track and then overnight in the racecourse stables, he was deemed well enough to be transferred to a nearby stud farm and was the subject of positive reports on Monday, but deteriorated overnight and died early on Tuesday. 

Nolan was banned for ten days after the Aintree stewards found him guilty of "continuing in the race when the horse appeared to have no more to give and was clearly losing ground after the second-last fence".

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