Talking Horses: the Grand National is much safer and all the better for it

The most famous and popular horse races in Britain and the United States do not, at first glance, have a great deal in common. The Grand National is a four-and-a-quarter mile handicap steeplechase on turf, for instance, while the Kentucky Derby is a Grade One 10-furlong Flat race for three-year-olds on dirt, to highlight just a few of the many differences between the two.

But a fascinating column by Gary West for the US TVG network’s website a few days ago is a reminder that, like most of the truly historic sporting events, both the Kentucky Derby and the Grand National continue to change and evolve.

West argues – persuasively - that the introduction of a points system to qualify for the Run for the Roses has had a profound effect on how the race is run. The sprint-bred speedballs that once ensured a breakneck pace from the off, teeing it up for the closers, no longer make it into the starting gate. That, in turn, has made the 20-runner race one that punters can approach with a little more confidence. Six of the last nine Kentucky Derby favourites have won – the same number as in the previous 33.

Continuing evolution is normal and natural, even for storied events which date back to the 19th century. In fact, it is what helps to keep them compelling and relevant, from one generation to the next, and the Grand National is no different.

The most recent significant changes at Aintree arrived, like those at Louisville, around a decade ago, when the cores of the famous National fences were softened and there was a further levelling of the drop at Becher’s Brook. Aintree’s most famous obstacle had previously undergone significant alteration after two fatal falls in the 1989 Grand National, and when compared to the great race