The Grand National

great race, lost money here, thoroughly enjoyable though

Most famous race in the world lives up to its billing once again.

Fanatastic entertainment, a great finish and, yes,  a few quid coming my way if the truth be known.

Obviously everyone regrets the sad end to Ornais and Dooneys Gate, but then that is one of the few prices we pay for the sport we love

nothing in the world of sport comes close to the drama, the sheer heart thumping excitement, the joy and the tragedy of the national. if you want to watch talentless creatures running on the sand at woolybags you might as well bet on 2 flies climbing a wall  the deaths are heart breaking and as an owner i should know but i'd change nothing- they live like kings and today sadly two died like lions. only 365 days to go

I think connections of horses need to take more responsibilty.A lot of horses that run in the national simply should not be there.They seem to have this attitude that they want a horse to run in the race even though they know it has no chance,or very little anyway.If the horse dont come back they need to look at themselves.
The race itself i have no problem with,but i do feel genuinely that it needs reviewing.Rules of entry,time of year its run are 2 things they need to have a good look at imo.
A 4m4f race over those fences should not be run when the conditions could be like they were yesterday,and should not include horses that cant cope with with it all.

Its hard though, it could end up like the Eider Chase and that was worse.....

I can see why people get upset by it, I'm not one of those people but I wouldn't try and persuade people to think otherwise. I don't like the hypocrisy of the media who biggy back off the popualrity of the National only to slam it the next day, that just smacks of hypocrisy to me.

I agree with what Budd says about the responsibility of connections. But I'd also just say that a horse fatally fell at Thirsk yesterday in a bog standard chase and that hasn't been reported. Also, spare a thought for Peter Toole, a young man in a coma in hospital following his fall in the Maghull Chase yesterday. Again, not reported in the national press.