Just watched the 1973 Grand National on youtube.

looking at the entries again this year there are several out of flat sires, second fav I Am Maximus is out of Authorised for e.g.), they are just not of the same constitution to carry 12 stone on firm ground so the courses are made to act accordingly, that'd be my explanation.

Think i'll join you and watch it again myself barstool , hoping to see Crisp win it this time     

Just watched it and forgot how far Crisp was clear
If this place was around then, after jumping the last Crisp would have traded 1.02 probably 1.01, for plenty, imo

A truly great race.

swiftynifty -- looking at the entries again this year there are several out of flat sires, second fav I Am Maximus is out of Authorised for e.g.), they are just not of the same constitution to carry 12 stone on firm ground so the courses are made to act accordingly, that'd be my explanation.

Five points.

1) Horses are *by* their sires and *out of* their dams. This is because horsey babies actually come *out of* their mummies' lady parts, unlike in people where the stork brings them.

2) Red Rum was Flat-bred.

3) Flat-breds are probably favoured by fast ground as it makes jumping easier. It needs more strength to jump out of sticky ground.

4) The watering can is used to reduce deaths and injuries. It's a softer landing when horses fall. Whether it works, I don't know, but that is the idea.

5) All sires come off the Flat. Apart from anything else, almost all male jumpers are geldings so cannot, erm, do the business. It is the dam and all her ancestors that determine whether a horse is Jumps- or Flat-bred.

Patronising, moi?

The landing side of Becher's was very, very different. You forget, don't you?

Ramruna, yes! This is the 21st century, were you there at the birth?!

My point was they're not as resilient as they once were, fences aside, a jump horse shouldn't be breaking a leg running on the flat, yet they are.

swiftynifty -- was I there at the birth?

It is a shame they abolished the requirement for the Home Secretary to attend all royal births to check the baby came out and wasn't a ringer.

swiftynifty -- to get back to the point re horses breaking legs between fences. It may indeed be horses are less resilient these days. Blame has been passed to America where enthusiastic drug use over decades allowed fragile horses to become champions and then stallions.

It may also be that softer ground, intended as a kindness, because it is slippery places more strain on connective tissues.

But this is speculation.

Not a race I've watched since due to the death of Grey Sombrero at the Chair. 

No race is a great race unless they all come home.

So very true, smoky.

If the BHA had any sense it would axe the Grand National. It is no longer the spectacle it was. The nation no longer cares. It gets a fraction of the viewing figures it used to. Factories and offices don't hold sweeps.

And it provides ammunition to the anti's whenever a horse dies on telly.

Ramruna, you are exactly what the anti's want on their side!!

I've posted this before, I think, but...........I watched the 73 Grand National with my "to be wife's" family. At the end of the race, I said great race but a pity that the best horse does not win in the Grand National. Father in law to be, explained that he looked after horses in the Army and probably knew more about them than me. I tried to explain the concept of handicapping and weight differentials but he wouldnt have it. I suggested we raced across the road to Waitrose and that I would beat him. I then said that we would do the race again and I would wear a rucksack with housebricks in it and he might win. He didn't get it but I still married his daughter. 50 years on in July.

The Grand National lost it's verve over 30 years ago. When the fences were hard to jump, there was plenty of fallers and carnage which added to the excitement. Nowadays it looks like the fences are made of straw, they just fall apart when horses jump through them. Sadly its now the bland national. Since 2000, 16 horses have died in the Grand National itself, 21 in the Foxhunters/Topham (over the GN fences)and 26 over the mildmay Chase/Hurdle/NHF at the GN meeting. Not sure how all that compares to the years before 2000.

Got my comeuppance last  week by not listening to the wife and instead just nodding my head and replying whatever you say dear , she's booked a week in Monaco/Nice for that week so i'll miss National weekend , that'll teach me.

Still look forward to the race personally and stand by the fact it's great for the sport , not sure where any new punters are coming from as no other race comes anywhere near close , don't care about the fences personally as it's still a great spectacle and still generates great interest in the sport which is desperately needed.

Each to their own though as always   

she's booked a week in Monaco/Nice for that week

How the other half live ay hayden? No cost of living crisis then?

I'm a Nice regular visitor stu , love the place.

Mind you last weekend away was in Blackpool 

Grey Sombrero was a big favourite of mine and it was such a sad ending to a very popular and brave horse.

When you think back now, knowing Red Rum`s exceptional National record, what a brilliant performance it was by Crisp conceding him 23lbs. Arguably the greatest ever performance in the long and rich history of the once great race.

As heart breaking as it is watching the re-run of the race it is just as moving listening to Dicky Pitman blaming himself for the defeat given that it appears that the galliant Crisp had merely given his all and was caught cruelly near the line.

Dicky gave him a crack and reckons he unbalanced the horse as a direct result of administering a whack of the shilleilagh.
Regrets it to this day
would Crisp have won without that human intervention?
who knows

Mind you last weekend away was in Blackpool

Sublime to...erm, Blackpool

Been to Blackpool few times myself, so we at least have that in common

Wife had never seen the lights switched on stu so it was one of her bucket list thingies , pleasantly surprised with the place anyway tbh   

It's not a bad trip to be fair, as long as you don't mind the drunken hoards usually around there (or are in one of them, lol) the tower is fairly cool to visit of course.