The Grand National

[Longsider]

Unfortunately Hill Sixteen was fatally injured in the fall at the first fence

That's not good. Saw the green screens up which is not a good sign. Hopefully the horse didn't suffer.

[Gaia]

Horse looked lifeless as soon as it fell at the first hurdle. . Three dead altogether.

[Rileybobs]

Horse looked lifeless as soon as it fell at the first hurdle. . Three dead altogether.

Small price to pay for a bit of entertainment.

[bfcjg]

That's not good. Saw the green screens up which is not a good sign. Hopefully the horse didn't suffer.

My wallet suffered.

[kentonclaret]

I had Mister Coffee - winning up to the last fence and ten lengths in front.

Not even a place.

Obviously not an Expresso

[kentonclaret]

Unfortunately Hill Sixteen was fatally injured in the fall at the first fence

The trainer of Hill Sixteen has blamed the protesters for the death of his horse, claiming that the 15 minutes delay caused his horse to become hyper and this contributed to his first fence fall.

[Lip]

I had Mister Coffee - winning up to the last fence and ten lengths in front.

Not even a place.

My wife backed it each way at 33/1with Betfred,it finished 8th and they payed out on the first 8 placed horses.

[kentonclaret]

Mister Coffee is trained by Nicky Henderson who has won Cheltenham Gold Cups and Champion Hurdles winners but, surprisingly, has yet to win a National of any description. Not a Scottish, Welsh or even Midlands Grand National. The closest he came was with Zongalero who was runner up behind the first Scottish trained Grand National winner Rubstic.

[kentonclaret]

My wife backed it each way at 33/1with Betfred,it finished 8th and they payed out on the first 8 placed horses.

Your wife is extremely lucky then, as I visited a Betfred shop this afternoon and they were only paying 5 places as confirmed by their advertisement on page 35 of Saturday’s Racing Post. Paddy Power paid out on the first 6 home.

[Abu_Hassan]

Your wife is extremely lucky then, as I visited a Betfred shop this afternoon and they were only paying 5 places as confirmed by their advertisement on page 35 of Saturday’s Racing Post. Paddy Power paid out on the first 6 home.

They did a special offer where they paid top 8 if you placed the bet on Friday. It was top 6 today (online).

[Here's-Johnny]

I got 6th place payout on born by the sea...100/1 5th the odds paid 20/1. I won on the race...but lost on the day though.

[Vintage Claret]

The trainer of Hill Sixteen has blamed the protesters for the death of his horse, claiming that the 15 minutes delay caused his horse to become hyper and this contributed to his first fence fall.

I can believe that.

Seeing the TV pictures of the horses in the paddock during the delay a few of them seemed very agitated and it just didn't 'feel' right.

I can't remember a Grand National that ended up with so many loose horses running so early on in the race.

Hope those protesters are proud of themselves

[dsr]

I can believe that.

Seeing the TV pictures of the horses in the paddock during the delay a few of them seemed very agitated and it just didn't 'feel' right.

I can't remember a Grand National that ended up with so many loose horses running so early on in the race.

Hope those protesters are proud of themselves

I think the protestors are probably working towards the end of horse racing (and other equestrian sports) and the euthanasia of all the horses. So perhaps they can live with the death of one in anticipation of the death of all the others?

[Here's-Johnny]

I can believe that.

Seeing the TV pictures of the horses in the paddock during the delay a few of them seemed very agitated and it just didn't 'feel' right.

I can't remember a Grand National that ended up with so many loose horses running so early on in the race.

Hope those protesters are proud of themselves

True story.

[Woodleyclaret]

We met a guy who's job was as a horse transporter talking injured horses away after racing at Ascot

[Eddiebfc]

I’m certainly not an animal rights protester but to put context on the assertion that the fatality was caused by the delay, a quick look shows that, there has been a fatality every year for the last five times it’s run. The fact that horses die for entertainment is indisputable.

[Corky]

I’m certainly not an animal rights protester but to put context on the assertion that the fatality was caused by the delay, a quick look shows that, there has been a fatality every year for the last five times it’s run. The fact that horses die for entertainment is indisputable.

I agree with you 100%. And it is interesting that a Claret watching on TV says that he can see that a number of horses in his view are agitated due to the race being delayed but a trainer can't. Or he is not bothered enough to pull the horse from the race!!!

[Burnley Ace]

Small price to pay for a bit of entertainment.

I think those horses are quite expensive, probably covered by insurance though.

[mikeS]

My wife backed it each way at 33/1with Betfred,it finished 8th and they payed out on the first 8 placed horses.

Lucky you. Only five places at William Hills

[evensteadiereddie]

I can believe that.

Seeing the TV pictures of the horses in the paddock during the delay a few of them seemed very agitated and it just didn't 'feel' right.

I can't remember a Grand National that ended up with so many loose horses running so early on in the race.

Hope those protesters are proud of themselves

[Lip]

Here are the facts and figures.

https://www.horsedeathwatch.com/index.php

[IanMcL]

Good Scottish win!

[mkmel]

You don't often hear Scottish and win in the same sentence.

Only teasing Ian!

[IanMcL]

You don't often hear Scottish and win in the same sentence.

Only teasing Ian!

You must have forgotten the Olympics!

[mkmel]

Here's one for you Ian.

My great grandparents on my Father's side were Scottish.

I try to keep quiet about it though

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

From animalaid.org.uk

"Hill Sixteen suffered a broken neck at the first fence in the Grand National race and two horses were taken away in horse ambulances with life threatening injuries. Dark Raven was killed earlier in the afternoon and the fate of another faller, Castle Robin, also earlier in the afternoon, remains unknown. The death of Envoye Special on the first day of the meeting adds to the horrific animal abuse that takes place each year at this appalling event.

Despite the rhetoric from the racing industry and its supporters, that horse welfare is their number one priority, Aintree Racecourse and British racing as a whole, are failing horses. The reality is that 200 horses perish each year on racecourses, the Grand National being the worst of all in taking their lives."

Dene Stansall said, "Jump racing must be banned to prevent the brutal horrors seen today at Aintree and this week, from happening again. Innocent race horses’ lives taken from them in the name of entertainment and gambling. Aintree, the worst of all racecourses, is a disgrace and the Jockey Club and British racing should hang their heads in utter shame at what we have seen over the past three days."

[MT03ALG]

Your wife is extremely lucky then, as I visited a Betfred shop this afternoon and they were only paying 5 places as confirmed by their advertisement on page 35 of Saturday’s Racing Post. Paddy Power paid out on the first 6 home.

I had the winner at 10/1 thanks to Sporting Life. I also had 6th. place but not paid out at the Bet Fred Shop in Colne

[kentonclaret]

I had the winner at 10/1 thanks to Sporting Life. I also had 6th. place but not paid out at the Bet Fred Shop in Colne

Well done on backing the winner. Historically bookmakers would have settled 4 places on large field handicaps like the Grand National but with 1/4 the odds a place. Now they offer 5 places but only at 1/5 the odds a place.
The only time that bookies settle at 1/4 the odds a place is on Virtual Racing!

[SocialistClaret]

I also blame the protesters for the deaths at races that didn't have protestor. Those years the horses were probably worried that protestor would interrupt their race and we're thinking of something else while being whipped over some jump.
Horses aren't stupid, they know who Emily Davison was and they're always worried that'd happen again. That's be enough to make anyone anxious.

Anyway, it's all very sad and reminds me of my son who I miss very much. He was only 6 years old when he broke his shin bone and we had to put him down. It's the horses parents I really feel sorry for.

[arise_sir_charge]

How did I know that someone with the username SocialistClaret would post some utter guff like that.

Just to pick up something from a post further up and the quote from animal aid “innocent race horses”……clue is in the name, they’d be called simply horses if they weren’t bread with the sole intention of racing.

[SocialistClaret]

I agree. As long as we breed animals with the intent to abuse them then it's OK. It is their purpose. We used to do that with people until the woke brigage got all outraged over it.

[Colburn_Claret]

I always have this picture that animal rights imagine horses without racing, would be roaming around the countryside like wild deer.
The fact that they would be culled to a few exhibits for the zoo just doesn't register.

[dsr]

I also blame the protesters for the deaths at races that didn't have protestor. Those years the horses were probably worried that protestor would interrupt their race and we're thinking of something else while being whipped over some jump.
Horses aren't stupid, they know who Emily Davison was and they're always worried that'd happen again. That's be enough to make anyone anxious.

Anyway, it's all very sad and reminds me of my son who I miss very much. He was only 6 years old when he broke his shin bone and we had to put him down. It's the horses parents I really feel sorry for.

I don't suppose the horses would be bothered if they ran over a protestor, be it Emily Davidson or one of her modern counterparts. They're only horses, after all. They're animals. They don't have the reasoning power to assess whether having a comfy stable and lots to do and as much food as they can eat, and proper medical treatment that will restore them to health or ensure a swift death, is worth the risk of going racing a few times a year.

I wouldn't feel sorry for horses' parents. They don't live in family groups, and they don't keep in touch when they've left home. I don't think the dead horse's parents would know or care about its death.

[arise_sir_charge]

I agree. As long as we breed animals with the intent to abuse them then it's OK. It is their purpose. We used to do that with people until the woke brigage got all outraged over it.

Breeding with the intent to abuse and we did that with people did we?

You’ve a rather warped view of history there but again, to be expected.

[yTib]

Breeding with the intent to abuse and we did that with people did we?

You’ve a rather warped view of history there but again, to be expected.

why is it to be expected?

[Rileybobs]

I always have this picture that animal rights imagine horses without racing, would be roaming around the countryside like wild deer.
The fact that they would be culled to a few exhibits for the zoo just doesn't register.

You could use the same argument to support dog fighting couldn’t you?

[Colburn_Claret]

You could use the same argument to support dog fighting couldn’t you?

What a ridiculous statement

[Rileybobs]

What a ridiculous statement

More ridiculous than a statement suggesting that if there was no horse racing then all horses would be killed other than a few preserved for zoos?

[Colburn_Claret]

More ridiculous than a statement suggesting that if there was no horse racing, then all horses would be killed other than a few preserved for zoos?

So what would happen to the horses.
First racing, then point to point, then 3 day eventing, then show jumping.
They are very good at what they do, but they make poor pets.
If they can't do what they are bred for they become pointless. They can't be released into the wild. So tell me what happens to all the horses if these narrow minded people have their way.

[yTib]

if there was no horse racing then race horses wouldn't be bred.

are you honestly this stupid?

[kentonclaret]

if there was no horse racing then race horses wouldn't be bred.

are you honestly this stupid?

Perhaps best not to mention the 85k jobs depending on the horse racing industry and the £4.1 billion generated for the UK economy.

[yTib]

Perhaps best not to mention the 85k jobs depending on the horse racing industry and the £4.1 billion generated for the UK economy.

i couldn't give a toss about horse racing or the exploitation of animals.

i've just had a bacon butty so i'd be a big, fat bacon fueled hypocrite.

i was just on about that cretin talking crap.

[Rileybobs]

So what would happen to the horses.
First racing, then point to point, then 3 day eventing, then show jumping.
They are very good at what they do, but they make poor pets.
If they can't do what they are bred for they become pointless. They can't be released into the wild. So tell me what happens to all the horses if these narrow minded people have their way.

As ytib says, horses wouldn’t be bred for racing. And why are these people narrow minded, because they don’t agree with you?

FWIW I’ve never really given a great deal of thought to whether horse racing is cruel. I’ve been to the races before and enjoyed it. But the Grand National is clearly putting the animals’ lives at an unnecessary level of risk. I have no doubt that the huge majority of race horses are incredibly well looked after - but animals are dying for our entertainment so what makes people who hold this view any more narrow minded than you?

[SocialistClaret]

Perhaps best not to mention the 85k jobs depending on the horse racing industry and the £4.1 billion generated for the UK economy.

Indeed. We need to continue abusing these animals because what if some people have to find different jobs?

We could just not throw them over hurdles that kill them and flat race them instead, which would solve the biggest problem with little cost in jobs, but I think the abuse is worth it just to watch the protesters be upset.

[Colburn_Claret]

if there was no horse racing then race horses wouldn't be bred.

are you honestly this stupid?

Not as dumb as you obviously.

The argument is trying to save horses from dying in a race, and the solution appears to be don't breed them, into extinction.
Maybe horses would rather run the risk of racing, than run the risk of extinction.

Jockeys, Boxers, f1 drivers, many sports people put their lives on the line. They know the risks, but wouldn't have it any other way.
Horses similarly love to race, they might not be as aware of the dangers in the sense that a human does, but would they stop it. I doubt it, but I'm certain these activists wouldn't give a damn about the horses wants, it's all about what they want, the horses are just a side issue.

[Rileybobs]

Not as dumb as you obviously.

The argument is trying to save horses from dying in a race, and the solution appears to be don't breed them, into extinction.
Maybe horses would rather run the risk of racing, than run the risk of extinction.

Jockeys, Boxers, f1 drivers, many sports people put their lives on the line. They know the risks, but wouldn't have it any other way.
Horses similarly love to race, they might not be as aware of the dangers in the sense that a human does, but would they stop it. I doubt it, but I'm certain these activists wouldn't give a damn about the horses wants, it's all about what they want, the horses are just a side issue.

Where to start with this…

Nobody is saying stop breeding horses so that they become extinct. You know that. This is a straw man.

Jockeys, boxers and F1 drivers aren’t forced to do what they do. I can’t actually believe you’re making this comparison.

So the activists don’t care about the horses wants…but you do?

[yTib]

so horses become extinct without racing.

please tell me you're trolling.

[SocialistClaret]

Horses were extinct before racing. They're just skinny cows and they'll go back to being so.

[yTib]

Horses were extinct before racing. They're just skinny cows and they'll go back to being so.

you are so obviously a turtle.

[arise_sir_charge]

People do realise that race horses die in flat racing don’t they?