Tragedy struck at this year’s Grand National festival with the heartbreak of losing two horses. While the main event on Saturday didn’t confirm any fatalities, the racing community is on edge as horses like Top Of The Bill, Quai de Bourbon, and Mr Vango are being evaluated by vets. The festival saw its first loss with Gold Dancer, whose promising run ended with a broken back. Saturday brought another tragedy as Get On George was put down after pulling up in a televised race.
Animal welfare advocates are once again calling for action, despite ongoing safety improvements at Aintree. Changes like reducing the number of runners to 34, adjusting the start time, and lowering fence heights have been implemented, but they haven’t completely eradicated risks.
In context, since course modifications in 2012, six horses have died at this iconic event. This brings the total to 65 fatalities since 2000 at the festival. Celebre d’Allen’s demise last year also weighed heavily on the event.
The Jockey Club stresses that overall, racing fatalities have decreased, showing a 0.22% rate in 2025 out of 86,300 runners. Yet, the losses remind us of the inherent dangers in this historic sport.
As investigations continue, Aintree Racecourse extends condolences to the connections of the lost horses. With safety measures under constant review, the goal remains a safer race while maintaining the thrill and tradition that the Grand National is known for.