HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - 2012 Grand National
OR:
2012 Grand National on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The 2012 Grand National (officially known as the
John Smith's John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, produces beers including John Smith's, the highest selling bitter in the United Kingdom since the mid-1990s. The majority of John Smith's sales are of the nitrogenated Extra Smooth ...
Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 165th annual renewal of the
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
at
Aintree Racecourse Aintree Racecourse is a horse racing, racecourse in Aintree, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, bordering the city of Liverpool. The racecourse is the venue for the Grand National steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase, whi ...
near
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, England. The showpiece
steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
, which concluded a three-day meeting which is one of only four held at Aintree throughout the year, took place on 14 April 2012. The maximum permitted field of 40 runners ran the last of Aintree's National Course featuring 30 fences, competing for record prize money of £975,000, making it the highest-valued National Hunt race in the United Kingdom. Aintree had made a number of safety changes in the months leading up to the race, following the deaths of two horses in the previous year's National. The changes included reducing the severity of some of the fences, raising the minimum age of participating horses from six to seven years old, and requiring all runners to have previously been placed in a recognised steeplechase of at least three miles.
Neptune Collonges Neptune Collonges (foaled on 25 April 2001) is a retired AQPS racehorse. He was bred in France as an AQPS (a selle-français warmblood with predominantly thoroughbred parents) and trained in Great Britain. His most noted success came when win ...
, ridden by
Daryl Jacob Daryl Jacob is an Irish National Hunt jockey who rode for trainer Paul Nicholls as second jockey to Ruby Walsh. When Walsh left the Nicholas yard Jacob took over as principal rider. He won at the Cheltenham festival for the first time in 2011 ...
, won the race, beating Sunnyhillboy in a
photo finish A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finis ...
and the closest ever finish to a Grand National. Neptune Collonges became only the third
grey horse A gray horse (or grey horse) has a coat color characterized by progressive depigmentation of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike some equine dilution genes and some other genes that lead to depi ...
to win the 173-year-old chase, and the first since 1961. Joint-favourite Seabass finished third, which resulted in Katie Walsh, in her first outing in the race, scoring the best result ever for a female jockey in the Grand National. Synchronised, the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and an early favourite for the National, and According to Pete both were
euthanised Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditio ...
after suffering leg fractures during the race. One fence was omitted on the second circuit as medics treated jockey Noel Fehily, who broke a leg in a fall on the first circuit. The race was televised live on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
for the last time, having broadcast every running since
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
. The rights to broadcast the next four renewals had been won by
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
. The BBC's relationship with the race did continue however through its live radio broadcast rights, which it had held since being first aired in 1927.


Safety changes

In 2011, Aintree announced some modifications to the format of the race and to the National Course in time for the 2012 Grand National. The changes followed a review of the 2011 race in which two horses suffered highly publicised fatal falls. A review conducted by the racecourse authorities, and the
British Horseracing Authority The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain. It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board (BHB) and the Horseracing Regulat ...
, in consultation with the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest an ...
and
World Horse Welfare World Horse Welfare is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and Scotland that was previously named The International League for the Protection of Horses. Anne, Princess Royal is its patron. History World Horse Welfare was founded in 1927 a ...
, recommended the following amendments to the course: *Fence 1 (fence 17 on second circuit) to be levelled out on the landing side to remove several minor contours. *Fence 4 (fence 20 on second circuit) to be rebuilt and reduced in height by two inches to 4 ft 10 in. *
Becher's Brook Becher's Brook ( ) is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the and fence, as well as on four other occasions du ...
(fence 6 on first circuit, fence 22 on second circuit) to have its drop on the landing side reduced by between four and five inches. *Height of toe-boards at the base of all fences to be increased from nine inches to 14 inches, in line with ordinary fences. Other recommendations were made to improve the safety of race participants, including: *The requirement for participating horses to have previously finished fourth or better in a recognised
steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
of at least three miles. *The minimum age of eligible horses to be increased from six to seven years. *The creation of a new post-race washdown and cooling area. *Flexibility in shortening or removing the pre-race parade in hot weather.


Race card

Entries for the race had to be submitted by 31 January 2012. On 1 February, Aintree announced that 82 horses had been entered for consideration in the 2012 Grand National, including the previous year's winner
Ballabriggs Ballabriggs (foaled 20 April 2001) is a retired Grand National-winning National Hunt racehorse trained by Donald McCain, Jr. in Cholmondeley, Cheshire and owned by Trevor Hemmings. Racing career Ballabriggs' racecourse debut was in a 2-mile Na ...
and
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
's outside winner
Mon Mome Mon Mome is an AQPS racehorse, which won the 2009 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, run on April 4, 2009. It was ridden by Liam Treadwell and trained by Venetia Williams. He won by 12-lengths at odds of 100–1, making Mon Mom ...
. Ballabriggs was bidding to become the first horse to win back-to-back Nationals since
Red Rum Red Rum (3 May 1965 – 18 October 1995) was a champion Thoroughbred steeplechaser. He achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, and also came second in the two intervening years, 1975 and ...
in
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
and
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
, who incidentally was trained by
Ginger McCain Donald "Ginger" McCain (21 September 1930 – 19 September 2011) was an English horse trainer who led the champion steeplechaser Red Rum to three Grand National victories in the 1970s. A former national serviceman in the Royal Air Force as a mo ...
, the father of Ballabriggs' trainer
Donald McCain, Jr. Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...
Among the early favourites for the race – alongside Ballabriggs – were Junior (trained by
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
's winning trainer
David Pipe David Ronald Pipe (born 5 November 1983) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or full-back. Club career Born in Caerphilly, Wales, Pipe began his career in the youth system at Coventry City. He made his senior ...
), Synchronised (the winner of the
Lexus Chase The Savills Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and ...
on 28 December 2011 and later the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup), Weird Al (winner in the October 2011
Charlie Hall Chase The Charlie Hall Chase is a Grade 2 National Hunt steeplechase in England which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Wetherby over a distance of about 3 miles (3 miles and 45 y ...
), and Midnight Chase (first in the Cotswold Chase on 4 February 2012). Synchronised was attempting to become the first horse since
Golden Miller Golden Miller (1927–1957) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who is the most successful Cheltenham Gold Cup horse ever, winning the race in five consecutive years between 1932 and 1936. He also is the only horse to win both of the United Kingdom's p ...
in
1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
to win both the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same year. Handicap weights were announced by the British Horseracing Authority in London on 14 February. The top weight of 11
stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
10 lb was allocated to the nine-year-old Sychronised. Ballabriggs was allotted 11 stone 9 lb, and 11 stone 8 lb to both Weird Al and Midnight Chase. The remaining entries were allotted a range of handicaps down to 9 stone. After a first scratchings deadline on 28 February, five entries were taken out. Following a second round of scratchings on 20 March 59 horses remained entered. At a five-day confirmation stage on 9 April a further 11 entrants were withdrawn, leaving 48 potential runners. Among those were 2012
Thyestes Chase The Thyestes Chase is a National Hunt handicap steeplechase run in Ireland. It takes place at Gowran Park, Gowran, County Kilkenny in January, over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 furlong (5,029 metr ...
winner On His Own, and West End Rocker who finished a comfortable first in the
Becher Chase The Becher Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged six years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 2 furlongs (3 ...
in December 2011. Other trainers returning to the race included Kim Bailey, who had success with Mr. Frisk in the 1990 National, with ten-year-old Midnight Haze;
Gordon Elliott Gordon Elliott may refer to: * Gordon Elliott (journalist) Gordon Elliott (born 30 September 1956) is a British Australian journalist and producer, radio and television personality, based now in the United States. He was the executive produc ...
, who trained the
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
winner
Silver Birch ''Betula pendula'', commonly known as silver birch, warty birch, European white birch, or East Asian white birch, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, native to Europe and parts of Asia, though in southern Europe, it is only found ...
, with the
grey Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
Chicago Grey; and
Ted Walsh Ted Walsh (born 14 April 1950) is an Irish amateur jockey turned racehorse trainer who was born and raised in Co. Cork but based in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland. Ted is also father to amateur Irish National Hunt jockey, Katie Walsh and profes ...
, responsible for Papillon's victory in
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
(his son
Ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sa ...
took that ride), with Seabass who was ridden by his daughter Katie in her first Grand National. With both Katie Walsh and
Nina Carberry Nina Carberry (born 19 July 1984) is a retired Irish female National Hunt jockey. She hails from a racing family and is the daughter of jockey Tommy Carberry. Career Carberry got her first Cheltenham Festival win in 2005 on Dabiroun in the Fred ...
in the line-up, 2012 marked the first time since 1988 that more than one female jockey participated in the same National. Jockey
Tony McCoy Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
rode Synchronised and was aiming for his second Grand National success in 17 attempts.
Niall Madden Niall "Slippers" Madden (born 11 November 1985) is a retired Irish jockey who rode the racehorse Numbersixvalverde to win the 2006 Grand National steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse. Madden's nickname is "Slippers", as a comparison with his fathe ...
(on In Compliance) was another seeking a second win after guiding
Numbersixvalverde Numbersixvalverde (born 1996) is an Irish race horse who won both the 2005 Irish Grand National and 2006 Aintree Grand National steeplechase, beating Hedgehunter by six lengths with Niall Madden in the saddle. Numbersixvalverde won his big r ...
to victory in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, while
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
winning jockey
Barry Geraghty Barry Geraghty (born 16 September 1979) is a retired Irish jockey. He is the second most successful jockey of all time at the Cheltenham Festival. Geraghty rode his first winner in January 1997 and three years later he became the Irish Champio ...
returned to ride Shakalakaboomboom. Paul Carberry took the ride of Chicago Grey and Ballabriggs defended his title under the jockeyship once again of
Jason Maguire Jason Maguire (born 13 April 1980) is a former horse racing jockey. Early life and career Maguire is the nephew of another former jockey Adrian Maguire. He won the 2011 Grand National on 14/1 shot Ballabriggs Ballabriggs (foaled 20 April 2 ...
, while
Timmy Murphy Timmy, or sometimes Timmie, is a masculine name, a short form of Timothy or Tim. This variation is popular as a nickname and is commonly used when someone is young, but is often used in adulthood. It is a version of the Greek name ( Timόtheos ...
was a sixth and final jockey aiming for another National win, having ridden
Comply or Die Compliance can mean: Healthcare * Compliance (medicine), a patient's (or doctor's) adherence to a recommended course of treatment * Compliance (physiology), the tendency of a hollow organ to resist recoil toward its original dimensions (this is a ...
in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
. On 12 April a final declaration of runners was made and the maximum field of 40 competitors plus four reserves was announced. Any withdrawals before 9 am on 13 April would have been replaced by a reserve. However, no reserves were needed as all 40 went forward on the morning before the race. *
Ruby Walsh Rupert Walsh (born 14 May 1979 in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland) is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Walsh is the third most prolific winner in Britis ...
was due to ride On His Own but was stood down after suffering a concussion in a fall during the
Aintree Hurdle The Aintree Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs (), ...
before the Grand National. Paul Townend took over the ride of On His Own, with Andrew Tinkler coming in to replace Townend on The Midnight Club.


Race overview

The start of the race was delayed after Synchronised unseated his rider,
Tony McCoy Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
during the warm-up and got loose on the racecourse. After the horse was caught and brought back to the start by McCoy, there were further delays caused by overly-keen riders and horses breaching the starting tape twice. Eventually, starter Hugh Barclay got all 40 runners away. As the field charged down toward the first fence, Giles Cross and Becauseicouldntsee were amongst the early leaders, and Viking Blond became the race's first faller. His jockey Brian Hughes suffered a suspected broken cheekbone in the fall. West End Rocker and Junior, both 16/1 shots, fell at the second fence. By the fourth, Shakalakaboomboom had taken up a prominent position just ahead of the remainder of the field. The fifth fence claimed three runners: State of Play unseated his rider Noel Fehily and Chicago Grey and Rare Bob were brought down. Fehily suffered a broken leg and a screen was soon erected around him as he was treated by medics, while course officials prepared for the fence to be bypassed on the second circuit. Becher's Brook, the sixth obstacle, saw the well-backed Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised fall. McCoy suffered a soft-tissue injury but Synchronised did not appear to suffer serious injury, and he continued running riderless until the 11th fence where he fell again, fracturing his right-hind
tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...
and
fibula The fibula or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. Its upper extremity is ...
; racecourse vets had to euthanise him. Outsider Alfa Beat was a faller at the
Foinavon Foinavon (1958–1971) was an Irish racehorse. He won the Grand National in 1967 at odds of 100/1 after the rest of the field fell, refused or were hampered or brought down in a mêlée at the 23rd fence. The fence was officially named after ...
fence after Becher's, and the next obstacle, the
Canal Turn The Canal Turn is a fence on Aintree Racecourse's National Course and thus is jumped during the Grand National Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase which is held annually at the racecourse, located near Liverpool, England. Named for the Leeds ...
, saw five runners exit the race. Black Apalachi fell while the riders of Organisedconfusion, Tatenen, Killyglen and Becauseicouldntsee were all unseated. Over the tenth, joint-favourite Shaklakaboomboom continued to lead from Planet of Sound and Seabass, ridden by Katie Walsh. Always Right and Hello Bud also held prominent positions. Treacle fell at the tenth and jockey Mark Walsh was unseated from 100/1-rated Arbor Supreme. Giles Cross was pulled up. As the field crossed the Melling Road, Planet of Sound, who had been jumping well, led from Shakalakaboomboom, Seabass and Always Right. But three fences later, at The Chair, Always Right unseated rider James Reveley. On the second circuit, Planet of Sound extended his lead over Shakalakaboomboom and the 14-year-old Hello Bud to three lengths. Quiscover Fontaine from the mid-division fell at the 17th, Deep Purple was pulled up after the 18th, and 80/1 shot Vic Venturi refused to jump the 19th. The field was diverted around the 21st fence as medics attended to Noel Fehily who fell from his mount on the first circuit and broke a leg. This was the third time a fence was omitted on the second circuit of a Grand National, with the 20th and 22nd having been bypassed in 2011 due to equine fatalities. Fehily was later taken to Fazakerley hospital in Liverpool. On His Own was fifth going towards Becher's Brook for the second time, but he fell at the fence, bringing down According to Pete, who was also struck by the passing Weird Al. According to Pete incurred a fracture to his left-fore humerus and was euthanised. Towards the back of the field,
Mon Mome Mon Mome is an AQPS racehorse, which won the 2009 John Smith's Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, run on April 4, 2009. It was ridden by Liam Treadwell and trained by Venetia Williams. He won by 12-lengths at odds of 100–1, making Mon Mom ...
, who went off at odds of 50/1 and won in 2009 at odds of 100/1, was pulled up with Postmaster. Over the second Canal Turn, Cappa Bleu and 100/1-rated In Compliance started emerging towards the front of the field, still led by Planet of Sound and Shakalakaboomboom. Over Valentine's,
Neptune Collonges Neptune Collonges (foaled on 25 April 2001) is a retired AQPS racehorse. He was bred in France as an AQPS (a selle-français warmblood with predominantly thoroughbred parents) and trained in Great Britain. His most noted success came when win ...
and Sunnyhillboy also began making notable progress, drawing close to Seabass and Hello Bud. Weird Al was the last faller of the race, at the 27th fence. With only two left to jump, any one of a pack of eight horses appeared in with a chance of securing a place. Seabass and Sunnyhillboy touched down first over the final fence, followed closely by Shakalakaboomboom, In Compliance and Neptune Collonges. On the 494-yard run-in to home, Shakalakaboomboom,
Ballabriggs Ballabriggs (foaled 20 April 2001) is a retired Grand National-winning National Hunt racehorse trained by Donald McCain, Jr. in Cholmondeley, Cheshire and owned by Trevor Hemmings. Racing career Ballabriggs' racecourse debut was in a 2-mile Na ...
and In Compliance began to lose ground and the trio of Sunnyhillboy from Seabass and Neptune Collonges charged into a tight race for the win. One hundred yards from the finishing post, Sunnyhillboy held a one-length lead over his nearest rival, Neptune Collonges, but the 33/1 grey caught up and at the line nothing separated the pair to the naked eye. Jockeys, trainers, viewers and spectators waited for one-and-a-half minutes to hear the judge's official announcement over the Tannoy that Neptune Collonges had snatched victory by a nose. The winner completed the course in 9 minutes 5.1 seconds and earned over £540,000 in prize money.


Finishing order

* Distance measures from smallest to largest winning margin: nose, short head, head, short neck, neck, one length, a distance.


Non-finishers


Colours

The colours carried by each runner, as declared by the BBC broadcast of the race.


Reactions

Neptune Collonges Neptune Collonges (foaled on 25 April 2001) is a retired AQPS racehorse. He was bred in France as an AQPS (a selle-français warmblood with predominantly thoroughbred parents) and trained in Great Britain. His most noted success came when win ...
' jockey
Daryl Jacob Daryl Jacob is an Irish National Hunt jockey who rode for trainer Paul Nicholls as second jockey to Ruby Walsh. When Walsh left the Nicholas yard Jacob took over as principal rider. He won at the Cheltenham festival for the first time in 2011 ...
dedicated the win to his friend and former colleague Kieran Kelly who died in a fall in 2003, adding: "I will treasure this day for the rest of my life. I didn't know where the winning post was so just kept on riding for all I was worth. This horse has a heart of gold. He's a real stayer and a class horse and he just stayed on the whole way to the line. We were reeling them in all the time." For trainer Paul Nicholls, Neptune Collonges was his 53rd runner in 20 Grand Nationals and his first ever win, which secured Nicholls his seventh consecutive trainers' championship. Winning owner John Hales announced 11-year-old Neptune Collonges' immediate retirement from racing after the victory. Hales told how he and his family were sceptical about entering the horse in the National, after his best horse, One Man, died in a fall at Aintree in 1998. Hales said: "My thought after he jumped the last was just 'thank God', he's home and well. I have nothing against Aintree but after what happened here in 1998 with One Man the place has owed me that one, so thank you Aintree. My family was split about running here, my wife was 50/50 about coming here and my daughter Lisa is showjumping in south Wales although I think she might have jumped off when she hears what has happened!" Following the deaths of Synchronised and According to Pete, and the bypassing of the 21st fence while medics treated jockey Noel Fehily's broken leg, much of the media attention again focused on the safety of horses and riders in the steeplechase. Aintree Racecourse released a statement in which managing director Julian Thick said: "We are desperately sad at these two accidents and our sympathies are with the connections of both horses. Safety is the first priority for the organisers of the Grand National and we make every effort to ensure that everyone involved in the event is able to participate in safety. Horseracing is a sport that is very carefully regulated and monitored, but risk can never be completely removed. All horses and riders in the Grand National have to meet very high standards set by an independent panel of experts. After today, we will, as always, be looking at all aspects of this year's race to see how we can improve safety further." The
British Horseracing Authority The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain. It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board (BHB) and the Horseracing Regulat ...
's director of equine science and welfare said : " he Grand Nationalhas inherent risks, but, working closely with Aintree and other stakeholders, we do all we can to minimise these risks while maintaining the unique character of the race. The key data from these accidents will be collated... the BHA and Aintree review all incidents which occur during the Grand National meeting and consider what measures can be taken to address the risk of a repeat in the future. We consult and work with recognised welfare organisations such as the
RSPCA The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest an ...
, SSPCA and
World Horse Welfare World Horse Welfare is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and Scotland that was previously named The International League for the Protection of Horses. Anne, Princess Royal is its patron. History World Horse Welfare was founded in 1927 a ...
. It is our stated objective to continue to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities which occur in racing." David Muir, from the RSPCA, said that the improvements to Becher's Brook were "a work in progress." Addressing the question of whether too many runners took part in the race he said, "I didn't see a lot of jostling, bumping and boring, but I want to look at it again." Muir added: "We need to reduce risk levels and see more finishers. We've had three days' racing and one horse that died on the flat and now two in the Grand National. The faller rate is too high and has to be addressed. Is the race cruel? No one put a horse into this race to see it suffer or die for their own gratification. That would be a definition of the word 'cruel'." Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare, said : "Over the coming days, it will be important to establish the facts. We won't know what if any changes will need to be made until we know the exact circumstances of their falls. No race, especially the Grand National, can be without risks but there is a balance between acceptable and unacceptable risk and we need to strive to get that balance right." Winning trainer Nicholls, who also lost Ornais in a fatal fall in the
2011 Grand National The 2011 Grand National (officially known as the John Smith's Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 164th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase began ...
, told the BBC that "no stone is left unturned" in the attempt to minimise the risk to participants in the race. Veteran jockey
Richard Pitman Richard Thomas Pitman (born 21 January 1943) is a retired British jump jockey who rode 427 winners in his career, including Lanzarote in the 1974 Champion Hurdle. He won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse twice, the Whitbread ...
gave his view "that things will have to be changed and I don't agree with the fences being smaller. That encourages horses to go faster. But I think the number of runners should be cut." The size of the field was also an area of concern raised by the RSPCA's chief executive, Gavin Grant, who added: "We need to look at the landing areas. Some improvements have been made there, but when you've got a drop on the other side of the fence s with Becher's Brooka horse isn't expecting that." Speaking several weeks after the race, Sychronised's jockey
Tony McCoy Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
said that he had been "trying to forget" about the National but that "Synchronised is a horse that I won't ever forget... its one of those terrible things that you wish will never happen."


Broadcasting

As the Grand National is accorded the status of an event of national interest in the United Kingdom and is listed on the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events, it is always shown on
free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the FTA Receiver, appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring ...
terrestrial television in the UK. The rights to broadcast the race were held by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
and the National, along with several other races during the day, was shown on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
and the
BBC HD BBC HD was a 24-hour high-definition television channel provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007 before its discontinuation on 26 March 2013. It broadcast ...
channel. This was the 53rd consecutive year the BBC has televised the Grand National and the last time before
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
took over broadcasting rights for a four-year period from 2013.
Clare Balding Clare Victoria Balding (born 29 January 1971) is an English broadcaster, journalist, and author. She currently presents for BBC Sport, Channel 4, BT Sport, is the current president of the Rugby Football League (RFL) and formerly presented the ...
presented the BBC's television coverage, supported by Rishi Persad and retired jockeys
Richard Pitman Richard Thomas Pitman (born 21 January 1943) is a retired British jump jockey who rode 427 winners in his career, including Lanzarote in the 1974 Champion Hurdle. He won the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park Racecourse twice, the Whitbread ...
and
Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE (born 18 January 1964 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a retired British jockey in National Hunt racing. He was a three-time Champion Jockey. Racing career Dunwoody's race victories include the King George VI Chase ...
. Betting updates were provided by Gary Wiltshire and
John Parrott John Stephen Parrott, (born 11 May 1964) is an English former professional snooker player and television personality. He was a familiar face on the professional snooker circuit during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, and remained within ...
. The television commentary team consisted of
Ian Bartlett Ian Bartlett is a horse racing commentator and occasionally was an analyst for the BBC. He has also commentated for Channel 4 Racing. Bartlett has always been associated with his role at Aintree. He commentated for SIS's feed of their Grand Nati ...
, Darren Owen, and Jim McGrath who called the winner home for the 15th time. The race was aired on
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...
for the 80th successive year, and was also covered by
Racing UK Racing TV (formerly Racing UK) is a British television channel with 34 racecourses as shareholders and fixtures from 61 racecourses broadcast live on its output. As Racing UK grew several other business units and joint ventures were developed un ...
into bookmakers' outlets using alternative camera shots from the BBC with their own commentary team. An alternative commentary was also given by
James May James Daniel May (born 16 January 1963) is an English television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a co-presenter of the motoring programme ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from ...
, shared with professional horse racing commentator Lee McKenzie, on the
BBC Red Button BBC Red Button is a brand used for digital interactive television services provided by the BBC, and broadcast in the United Kingdom. The services replaced Ceefax, the BBC's analogue teletext service. BBC Red Button's text services were due to cl ...
service, for his TV show ''
James May's Man Lab ''James May's Man Lab'' is a British television series presented by former Top Gear presenter James May. The first, three-part series was aired on BBC Two between 31 October and 14 November 2010. The second, five-part series was aired between 2 ...
''.


Subsequent review

The
British Horseracing Authority The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain. It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board (BHB) and the Horseracing Regulat ...
conducted its usual review of the Grand National in the weeks following the 2012 race, and it found that the deaths of Synchronised and According to Pete could have been neither "foreseen nor prevented". It posted letters to all 40 jockeys expressing disappointment at their conduct at the start line, where there were two
false start In sports, a false start is a disallowed start, usually due to a movement by a participant before (or in some cases after) being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start. Depending on the sport and the event, a false start can result ...
s and some did not comply with starter Hugh Barclay's instructions on lining up. The start of the chase had been delayed by eight minutes after Synchronised unseated his rider,
Tony McCoy Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (born 4 May 1974), commonly known as AP McCoy or Tony McCoy, is a Northern Irish former National Hunt horse racing jockey. Based in Ireland and the UK, McCoy rode a record 4,358 winners, and was Champion Jockey a reco ...
, and got loose on the course. Once caught, he was examined by a vet who found his heartbeat normal and "barely above a normal resting rate". The BHA's report confirmed that although Synchronised fell at
Becher's Brook Becher's Brook ( ) is a fence jumped during the Grand National, a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. It is jumped twice during the race, as the and fence, as well as on four other occasions du ...
, unshipping McCoy, he continued running riderless until he fell five fences later, fracturing his right-hind
tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...
and
fibula The fibula or calf bone is a leg bone on the lateral side of the tibia, to which it is connected above and below. It is the smaller of the two bones and, in proportion to its length, the most slender of all the long bones. Its upper extremity is ...
. According to Pete was brought down when On His Own fell in front of him at Becher's Brook on the second circuit. While getting up again he was struck by Weird Al. The BHA could not be certain which incident resulted in the horse incurring a fracture of his left-fore
humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...
. Both Synchronised and According to Pete were euthanised by vets once it was concluded the fractures were untreatable.


See also

*
Horseracing in Great Britain Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total di ...
*
List of British National Hunt races A list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority, including all races which currently hold Grade 1, 2 or 3 status. History of the National Hunt Patter ...
*
2012 Epsom Derby {, class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; float:right; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" width="280px" ! colspan="3" style="border:1px solid black; background-color: #77DD77;" , Also Ran The 2 ...


References

{{Grand National 2012
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...
21st century in Merseyside
Grand Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commu ...