Aintree Grand National Meeting

I think my feelings are very similar. Absolutely love watching a horse jumping fences - think of a horse getting every railway fence at Sandown spot on and pinging a leap. I grew up with that amazing picture of Pendil which some might know putting in a perfect leap and true poetry in motion but couldn’t watch the National after the first fence last year.

I hope that moving the start means they circle further away from the stands which may be a little calmer for horses and jockeys.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I do a double take if we drive along the Melling Road and spot the road name.

From the race commentary. ‘And now they are crossing the Melling Road’.

I forget that the course is laid out on either side of and crosses a major road.
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My Nan’s house (uncle lives there still) is just over the bridge at the end of the Melling Road. Spent my childhood being driven up and down that road so Aintree feels very much like home to me.
 
Tiddlypom said:
That’s from 8am this morning. It’s bucketed it down for most of the day since then, it’s been miserable.
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Yep I know, I did put in my post it was from this morning. Just thought people might be interested in seeing the map and also providing the link to the site as it’ll be a useful comparison to the one they put up tomorrow morning!
 
saalsk said:
I have a love / hate relation with jumps racing. I love it, have done since about 7 or 8. Glued to the TV to watch on saturday afternoons, always imagining the fences I jumped on my pony being the canal, the chair, beechers etc. Looking out of the window on long car journeys and jumping the hedges as we drove by... I loved Aldaniti, and Grittar, I backed Spartan Missile... I was sickened by Dark Ivy - such a lovely grey, and such an obvious fatality. I would watch the replay after I knew what had happened, and who hadn't made it. Still do. Record the racing, see if there are incidents, and then watch, and brace myself - ready to not-watch, but knowing what happens. I suppose that may make me a hypocrite - I don't like it but watch it anyway - but I still love watching the racing - watching the care of Balthazar King, and seeing Ruby helping wave the runners around the fence for the 2nd lap, and then seeing how BK was treated, and is now fine. I bet on Smartie in the 2001 - it was my wedding day, I was already half cut on a bottle of fizz while watching the opening show - fine at the wedding, and had organised the waiters for the meal to keep me informed of the result. 2 finish (bar the 2 re-mounted) and I chose the wrong one ! Did ok with Numbersixvalverde though, and a few others. My claim to fame is that I stroked Red Rum when he opened a betting shop in South Devon - didn't wash my hand for weeks !
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You could be writing about me! Same love/ hate relationship with jump racing. I can’t watch flat racing as it’s national hunt that gripped me as a child and still does. As a kid , I had a black sweatshirt printed with white letters ‘ Red Rum Rules Ok’ .I got to meet him at a fete opening once. He was gleaming and his nose was so soft. My mum didn’t want me to watch the racing anymore as I got so upset if something bad happened.
I’m a lot, lot older now. I won some money on the Red Marauder race. I backed the second, party politics at a huge price. Got so cross with myself for shouting at him at the finish, I never bet again.
I haven’t watched much racing this season. Unfortunately the two occasions I have there have been fatalities.
I still haven’t got over Simonsig all those years ago and don’t get me started on Many Clouds.
I don’t even know if I will watch the National this year
 
I’m another who watches jump racing and love seeing the good horses jumping but hate the falls , I also stopped watching the grand national live after Dark Ivy died as I had picked him to win, he was a beautiful looking horse and I can still see that fall even now all these years later. I will watch the prelims and then switch off and watch the replay after it’s finished.
 
Seen via fb group Aintree are advising people to try and arrive by public transport it at all possible as the Steeplechase car park is 'very wet' in places.
 
I have watched closely many years of footage of the race ,including the old pathe stuff. !928 was an interesting year . Back then ,a lot of gentlemen rode to say they had done it. A number of horses got badly treated by these amateurs. But the professionals rode and treated the course with the respect it deserved. I met a guy out exercising and was slightly amazed when he stated asking me my opinion about the national .A) an odd conversation opener) and b did he know who he was talking to lol.Well , as it transpired he was looking in to making the national safe on behalf of the jockey club . I told him ,"build them solid and high" He said that this was the professional view but the public (cat loving vegans)would not understand.Edited ton add that I care about cats and have a lovely vegan lady friend.
 
The safety consultation featured exclusively professionals, statisticians and welfare officers. I suspect the above conversation was pretty historic, judging by the non-PC content!

The evidence-based review process included gathering insights from independent research papers into racehorse welfare, statistical data analysis relating to the race over many years and canvasing the views of the racing industry, the BHA, World Horse Welfare and a range of other stakeholders including jockeys and trainers.
 
Going to be warm today, 17° is predicted. That is most unfortunate coupled with the going, which is heavy to soft on the National course and soft to heavy on the Mildmay.

It’s not often that we wish the sun away, especially after this winter, but not at Aintree today, please. At least there’s a breeze.

Yes, I’m probably overly invested for a non race goer. From in the past walking past the PM room at Leahurst with post GN meeting cadavers awaiting attention. In particular Dark Ivy.

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Clodagh said:
Wasn’t the first race brilliant viewing. I’m so sorry that Ginny’s Destiny didn’t win but to see those top class horses flying round, ears pricked and jumping like bucks.
Jump racing at its very best.
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Didn’t manage to watch that one. Hoping Sir Gino runs well in this one.
 
Wahey, I’ve managed to get these next 3 days off work so I can sit and watch the festival. Unfortunately I’ve got to go to a birthday meal on Saturday 😑

do we think Shiskin is gonna start? And if he does, is he gonna be up there? He did really well in his last run until he tripped up after the last.
 
Great run by the horse, can’t stand GE - he doesn’t seem to be passionate about horses, just sees them as a commodity.

Hank the Tank ran a blinder!
And shishkin never really turned up.

In the ITV7 (which was screwed in the first race) I picked Bob Olinger for this next race. Would love Langer Dan to be up there but I’m not too sure he can.
 
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