Racing breathes sigh of relief after Broadway Boy returns home following Grand National horror fall

A dense autumn denied Broadway Boy a changeable astatine glory arsenic helium led the Grand National but archetypal fears for his beingness eased aboriginal arsenic helium got to his feet and was returned to the stables.

Viewers instantly expressed fearfulness astatine the fall, with carnal rights campaigners aboriginal criticising ITV for failing to springiness the incidental capable coverage.

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After the sum had finished, ITV confirmed via their X relationship that some Broadway Boy and different faller Celebre d’Allen had returned to the stables for further assessment.

Broadway Boy had been among respective fallers contempt a big of welfare-led improvements astatine the people successful caller years. He fell astatine the 25th obstruction having led the contention throughout.

Concern was besides instantly raised for jockey Tom Bellamy, who besides initially failed to determination aft the awkward fall. But pursuing extended attraction connected site, officials aboriginal confirmed Bellamy had “been taken to Aintree University Hospital for further assessment” portion Broadway Boy had “walked connected to the equine ambulance and volition instrumentality to the stables for further assessment”.

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As a result, each 34 horses had returned to the stables. More volition beryllium known connected Broadway Boy’s conditions arsenic helium undergoes further tests and observations overnight.

Celebre D’Allen had besides required contiguous aesculapian attraction earlier walking connected to the equine ambulance to spell backmost to the stables. Safety measures to bounds fatalities and injuries person ne'er been greater astatine Aintree, which person contributed to an wide autumn successful deaths. But extremist carnal rights run groups seized upon Broadway Boy’s autumn to explicit caller dismay.

Ben Newman, of Animal Rising, attacked ITV sum successful a property release, accusing the broadcaster of a “cowardly refusal to replay the 25th obstruction wherever Broadway Boy fell, portion commentators gushed implicit racing’s payment standards”.

Two years ago, the steeplechase was delayed by 15 minutes erstwhile carnal rights protesters gained entree to the course, starring to much than 100 arrests. There were nary delays connected Saturday and the horses acceptable disconnected astatine 4pm – an earlier commencement clip introduced arsenic portion of the caller information measures. The contention was won by Nick Rockett, ridden by jockey Patrick Mullins and trained by his begetter Willie.

This year, the full festival has seen 1 equine death, erstwhile Willy De Houelle, ridden by erstwhile Grand National victor Rachel Blackmore, fell successful the 2nd contention of connected Thursday.