Six fewer horses will participate at Aintree in April 2024Race alterations designed to reduce the number of fallers
The traditional 40-runner charge to the first in the Grand National has been consigned to history following an announcement on Thursday by Jockey Club Racecourses, which operates Aintree, that the maximum field for the world’s most famous steeplechase will be cut to 34 from next year in an attempt to reduce the number of fallers.
The 15% cut in the number of runners that face the 30 National fences is one of several initiatives after a frenetic and incident-packed race in April, in which five horses – including Hill Sixteen, who suffered a fatal injury – failed to get past the first fence, and three more went at the second. The race was also delayed by 15 minutes as police and security staff dealt with an attempt by animal rights activists to prevent it taking place, further fraying the nerves in what is always a febrile pre-race atmosphere.
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