Sport’s leaders fighting back on welfare and prize money fronts after falls in crowds puts squeeze on before racing’s biggest day
If anyone at Aintree needed a reminder of the oscillating exhilarations and perils of jump racing, it came within a few tragic seconds on Ladies’ Day. In one breath, the favourite for the opening race, Inothewayurthinkin, surged over the last fence, to a roar that could have been heard back in Liverpool. In the next, Giovinco crashed to the floor to gasps, the green screens came up, and he became the first fatality of this year’s meeting.
But, ahead of the Grand National, British racing is not only facing familiar questions around horse welfare, but increasingly biting financial headwinds. There are warnings of falling attendances. The dominance of the Irish. The lack of competitiveness and depth in UK races. And questions over cocaine use among fans.
