- Giovinco, a seven-year-old gelding, died after falling in the first race of the day
- An Animal Aid activist called it a “scandal” that horses continue to die in races
- A steel ring has been prepared to help protect Saturday’s Grand National.
Animal rights activists are outraged after a horse, Giovinco, died after a fall during the second day of the Grand National Festival.
Seven-year-old Giovinco fell during the Mildmay Novices’ Chase, the first race of Ladies’ Day at Aintree.
The gelding was three lengths behind the leader and fell at the final fence. Veterinarians treated him on the track but were unable to save him as heartbroken festival-goers looked on.
His tragic death comes just 24 hours before the festival’s main event, for which a “ring of steel” has been prepared to keep protesters away.
“If the death toll were so ‘high’ in any other sport, it would be banned immediately,” reads a statement from Animal Aid.
“However, since these are ‘just’ horses, the racing industry and government seem content to allow these innocent animals to suffer horrific injuries and die.”
Giovinco was trained by two-time Grand National winner Lucinda Russell and ridden by Stephen Mulqueen.
He died at 1:45 p.m. on Friday.
Animal Aid campaigner Nina Copleston-Hawkens said: “It is reprehensible that another horse has lost its life at the Grand National Meeting, a life which, while considered inconsequential by the racing industry, was precious and important.”
“That horses continue to die in horrific and terrifying ways during a race is scandal enough, but even horses ‘lucky’ to survive face uncertain futures where disposal methods such as culling and matadors are common once they are no longer considered ‘useful’ to the industry.”
A “ring of steel” will isolate this Saturday’s Grand National from animal rights protesters, with police deploying undercover behavioral experts to monitor crowds.
Security cordons have been placed.
Senior officers are keen to avoid a repeat of the scenes at last year’s horse race, when activists stormed the track and tried to stick to the fences.
Concerned festival-goers watched as doctors treated Giovinco on the track, but he sadly died.
A ‘ring of steel’ will try to stop protesters disrupting the Grand National as they did last year.
Following a covert expose by the Mail, police had been alerted to the plot organized by campaign group Animal Rising a fortnight earlier, and were on hand to quickly arrest more than 100 protesters.
This meant that the world famous obstacle course was delayed by just 14 minutes.
But furious trainer Sandy Thomson later blamed the ‘ignorant’ eco-mafia for the death of his horse Hill Sixteen, who suffered a fatal fall at the first fence after going ‘hyper’ due to the delay.
Last week, Animal Rising said it had suspended its protests against horse racing, but Superintendent Matthew Moscrop, of Merseyside Police, said a “ring of steel” would greet them if they decided to attack Aintree circuit.
He said the force would deploy expert ‘Project Servator’ officers, specially trained covert units who analyze crowd behavior to thwart attacks before they happen.
Moscrop explained: “These are behavior detection specialists who identify people whose behavior suggests they are not there to enjoy a day at the races (criminal or antisocial) and prevent this from happening.”
Large cordons have been erected and there will be a heavy security detail, with undercover police officers among the crowd.
Grand National organizers say analysis of data from previous races and discussions with welfare organisations, such as the RSPCA, have led to several changes to this year’s race.
These include a smaller field, with the number of horses racing reduced from 40 to 34; an earlier start time of 4pm to help the horses have safer ground when performing their jumps and a shorter run to the first fence to help slow the horses down.
Mortality rates in horse racing fell marginally compared to the previous year.
In 2023, the British Horseracing Authority recorded 158 deaths out of 87,619 runners, a mortality rate of 0.18 percent. That amounted to a drop of 11 deaths and 0.02 percent.
More to follow.