The Grand National is arguably the most famous horse race in the world and, according to the BBC, attracts a global television audience of approximately 600 million. In the last decade or so, the Jockey Club, which owns Aintree Racecourse, has invested heavily in safety changes but, based on its own research and a number of independent studies, has announced further measures to be implemented before the next running of the Grand National on April 13, 2024.
The previous safety limit of 40 horses, introduced in 1984, will be reduced to 34, with a view to reducing the risk of falling. Likewise, in a effort to reduce the speed at which horses approach the first fence, the obstacle will be moved 60 yards closer to the start. In 2013, the start was moved 90 yards closer to the first fence, thereby reducing the overall race distance. Nevertheless, according to the Jockey Club, the average speed of horses approaching the first fence has increased, rather than decreased, over the past decade, prompting further action. A standing start will also be implemented, as it will for all races over the Grand National fences. Other infrastructure changes include reducing the height of the eleventh fence, an open ditch, from 5′ to 4’10” and levelling off the landing side to further reduce the height of the drop.
As far as the horses are concerned, participants in the Grand National will need to have achieved an official handicap rating of 130, rather than the previous 125, and those prone to jumping errors will be closely scrutinised by the so-called Grand National Review Panel to determine their suitability. The formal parade, in which horses were led by handlers, will also be dispensed with and horses will simply canter in front of the grandstands on their way to the start.