Trainer Lucinda Russell also blames the pace for the death of race-horses – Horse Racing Update
The John Smith Grand National event took place from 7-9 April at the Aintree race-course. Towards the end of the Grand National event, the death of the two champion race-horses named Dooneys Gate and Ornais left the sports analysts and some trainers in conflict
regarding the conditions of the management and race-horses at the meeting.
The conditions of the race-course are being called into question, following the death of both race-horses. Many trainers feel that a combination of warm weather and the pace of the race are to blame.
Amongst those who are most involved in this intense ongoing debate after the National meeting are the jump trainers Kim Bailey and Lucinda Russell. Even though Russell did not saddle a race-horse that died in the Saturday meeting, her runner of the event
Silver By Nature was revealed to be bruised. She reports that the race-horse is doing well but was also a victim to the pace that was set during the race coupled with the not so good conditions of the race-course.
According to the official website of the trainer, she was reported as saying, “I’m not sure what Aintree can do to make the track and fences safer, other than to make the ground softer so that the horses run slower.”
She further went on to say, “Unfortunately, as in many things, speed increases danger.”
On the other hand, trainer Kim Bailey told the correspondents that no matter how much the race-horses are schooled to jump well over the fences, they are prone to fall and especially when the fences are big. He also said that the pace of the race of the
Saturday meeting was indeed a risk factor for the two race-horses to get exhausted and eventually caused their death.
Bailey also said that he considers the weather partly responsible for the sudden death of the two colts immediately after the meeting, as temperatures were above normal for racing. Bailey is the winner of the 1990 edition of the Grand National meeting with
his race-horse Mr Frisk and said that this race was the second fastest in history.
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