Animal welfare campaigners have condemned the death of three horses during the Grand National festival at Aintree. Solwara One, who featured in the 1.45pm race on Friday, was the first fatality before Elle Est Belle suffered a suspected heart attack when finishing fourth in the Betway Mersey Novices' Hurdle on Saturday before the main event.
Discorama featured in the Grand National - won by Noble Yeats at a price of 50/1 - but pulled up before the 13th fence due an injury. After the race, all 40 horses that started returned to the stables and underwent assessments by the Aintree veterinary team, but the Mirror reports they found "an untreatable pelvic injury" for the Paul Nolan-trained horse.
Nolan confirmed the news on Twitter, revealing that he was "heartbroken" at the death of the two-time winner. He wrote: "We are heartbroken to have lost Discorama today at Aintree. Bryan [Cooper] pulled him up due to injury. Our condolences to his owners Andrew Gemmell & Tom Friel."
Professor Chris Proudman, Veterinary Advisor to Aintree Racecourse, said: "After the race, Discorama, who had pulled up while travelling on the flat between fences, was assessed further in Aintree’s veterinary treatment facility within the stables. Very sadly we determined that he had sustained an untreatable pelvic injury and it has now been necessary to put him to sleep on welfare grounds. Our thoughts are with his connections."
Since 2000, 16 horses have died at the meeting, according to the Manchester Evening News. The Long Mile had to be put down after suffering a fatal injury during the 2021 Grand National, with Up For Review also losing his life at the Aintree racecourse two years earlier. Changes to the course were introduced in 2012 and there were no fatalities between 2013 and 2018, but that has now increased to five in the last three runnings of the festival (2020 was cancelled due to Covid-19).
The changes that were introduced included the adapting and rebuilding of fences, facilities and stables, while new approaches and bypass areas to the fences have been added to improve safety for the horses.
However, following the death of Solwara One - trained by Neil Mulholland - a spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "We are deeply saddened and concerned after the death of Solwara One at the Aintree Grand National Meeting. The death of any horse is always one too many so it is crucial that steps are taken to reduce the risk of such tragedies occurring."
Animal Aid’s Horse Racing Campaigner, Jade Emery, called for the event to be banned completely. She said: "If a horse’s life is worthless to the racing industry, as we have seen every year at the Grand National meeting, then the industry itself is devoid of morals. It’s time to challenge the acceptance of this race meeting, and the associated deaths, and see it banned from taking place."
Deputy CEO at the League Against Cruel Sports, Chris Luffingham, "Enough is enough. Animal welfare should be at the heart of horse racing and much tighter safety measures need to be implemented – the first step is to create a new independent regulatory body which focuses purely on the welfare of the horses.
"The use of the whip in the sport should be banned as it is forcing horses to go beyond what they are able to cope with and results in stress, injuries and deaths. The lives of horses are being sacrificed for ‘entertainment’ and gambling."
Noble Yeats won the 174th edition of the race under Sam Waley-Cohen in his final ever ride as a jockey. The 39-year-old, whose father Robert owned the Grand National-winning horse, announced earlier in the week that he was retiring from the sport after the showpiece event and finished his career in style.
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