Grand National runner Celebre D’Allen dies after collapsing during the race
A horse that collapsed on the racecourse after running in the Grand National has died, the British Horseracing Authority confirmed on Tuesday.
Celebre D’Allen — a 125-1 outsider in the storied British jumps race on Saturday — was pulled up in the latter stages before collapsing. After receiving treatment on the course, he walked into the horse ambulance and was taken to the racecourse stables for further assessment.
The 13-year-old horse was moved on Sunday to a nearby stud connected to his owner after showing an improvement in his condition, the BHA said in a statement, but died on Monday.
BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea said his organization was “saddened” to learn of the death of Celebre D’Allen and defended its health and safety processes, before and after the running of the Grand National.
There is “an extensive process of checks to ensure a horse’s suitability to race in the National,” Dunshea said, “which also includes a review of veterinary records and assessment by a panel of experts to consider a horse’s race record and suitability to race.”
Dunshea said the BHA and Aintree racecourse will analyze the race and Celebre D’Allen’s collapse, adding that the horse will be sent for post-mortem.
Britain’s Press Association reported on Tuesday that stewards at Aintree suspended jockey Michael Nolan for 10 days after inquiring into his decision to continue to ride Celebre d’Allen after jumping the next-to-last fence in the National.
“The jockey riding him (Celebre D’Allen) to the point of collapse received a pitiful 10-day suspension,” said Iain Green, director of animal-welfare activist Animal Aid, before criticizing the decision to allow “a horse of this age to race in the most punishing and notoriously dangerous race on record.”
The Grand National has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous horse races in the world because of the size of the fences. A number of new measures — including reducing the field from 40 to 34 runners and bringing forward the race’s start time — were introduced last year in an attempt to make it safer.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
