ONCE again the Grand National has produced triumph and disaster in equal proportions.

Just as we have had the euphoria of Red Rum and Aldaniti and the heartbreak of Crisp and Devon Loch in the past, yesterday we had the spectacular win of Neptune Collonges tinged with sadness by the tragic loss of two horses, and this despite the safety measures installed at Aintree and the determination of the organisers to prevent such happenings.

The fickle finger of fate is as always random — a gold cup winner from a large and successful stable and a homebred horse from a homespun stable, being the victims.

The BBC was sadly prophetic when they highlighted these two horses in the build up to the big race, and it is ironic that had Synchronised not been rounded up from his escapade before the start, he would still be alive.

If According to Pete had won it would have been yet another fairytale end to this great sporting spectacle, instead of the other side of the coin. Who is to say that one day in the future there will not be some balm to soften these losses just as there was for John Hales who lost his other beloved grey, One Man in equally sad circumstances?

What can be done about it? They have tried to make the fences easier and the runners in the Becher Chase and the Topham Trophy have proved that they can be jumped safely.

The main difference between these races and the Grand National is the number of runners. No other race has 40 runners, most have less than half this, and I suggest that the congestion caused by this number of horses jumping in close proximity to each other must be partly to blame for the attrition rate in this race.

On the other hand sometimes it is just plain bad luck which causes freak injuries.

According to Pete was brought down by On His Own, when jumping and travelling well. Synchronised was injured when carrying on riderless after Bechers. Both these calamities could have happened on any course.

There are some things you just cannot legislate for.

Tony Rushbrooke

tony.claire @talktalk.net