The Grand National is about to become a classier race - but at the cost of all its colour and charm
It wasn't just Ace Impact who was retired on Thursday; the Jockey Club in effect retired the world's most famous horserace too.
It might still be the Grand National, but brick by brick, fence by fence, furlong by furlong and runner by runner the great Aintree event is being dismantled into just another staying handicap chase.
The first Grand National I can remember watching was the one won by Party Politics in 1992. It was a magical, enthralling experience, an utterly unique spectacle, but that is no longer the case. It has been edging further away from that for several years now and Thursday's changes, in particular the reduction in the maximum size of the field from 40 runners to 34, will greatly accelerate that process.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on 13 October 2023inDavid Jennings
Last updated 15:59, 13 October 2023
Copy- A 5-1 shot who should be odds-on - and you'll agree with me once you've read this
- From the Grand National that didn't impress me to the trainer who impressed me more than any other in my career
- Gordon Elliott is listening to his inner Einstein as A-listers are Aintree bound, so what on earth will Punchestown be like?
- British trainers deserve a kick up the arse for missing the Irish Grand National
- It has to be Langer Dan for best villain - but who else gets a gong at my 2024 Cheltenham Festival Academy Awards?
- A 5-1 shot who should be odds-on - and you'll agree with me once you've read this
- From the Grand National that didn't impress me to the trainer who impressed me more than any other in my career
- Gordon Elliott is listening to his inner Einstein as A-listers are Aintree bound, so what on earth will Punchestown be like?
- British trainers deserve a kick up the arse for missing the Irish Grand National
- It has to be Langer Dan for best villain - but who else gets a gong at my 2024 Cheltenham Festival Academy Awards?