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Captain's Blog - Friday 21st September

Yet more changes to the Grand National were announced yesterday, indeed the RSPCA have arrogantly told the BHA that this is their last chance! The whole thing astounds me and surely if we are going to continue to alter the National in the face of pressure from the RSPCA and other pressure groups we may as well scrap the race completely.

I understand that horse welfare must always be a priority for the industry but I do not believe that the RSPCA will stop their demands until the race itself ceases to exist, unless of course we start standing up for ourselves.

The Grand National in 2013 will be run at a distance short of four and a half miles and the fences are going to undergo structural changes again and there will be more changes to Becher's Brook.

In the face of these changes I ask do we really have a Grand National anymore or just a race that is a pale imitation of the original? I understand that the race has to move with the times and nobody wants to see horses killed or injured, but these changes will not stop death or injury. It is speed that kills and there is some evidence that less runners would mean less injuries.

There is nothing you can do about the pace of the race, this is up to the jockeys but the field sizes could have been reduced. Instead we get more tinkering and more finger-wagging from the RSPCA. If we think that this tinkering will shut them up then we are badly mistaken for they will be back with more demands after the 2013 renewal of the race and then we will tinker again and then back they will come in 2014. There will be no end-game either until they get what they really want which is an end to the National.

Today I am going with Wentworth at Newbury. He impressed with the way he got out of trouble and quickened at York last time and the Hannon team think very highly of this horse. The step up to a mile will suit him and he will be tough to beat.

I am in the Studio today for all of the action from Ayr and Newbury. It will be good to get back on the horse so to speak. Let's just hope that Ayr gets the go ahead.

All the best folks.

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