Skip to content

Racing breathes sighs of relief after Broadway Boy returns after Grand National Horror Fall

    Broadway Boy and his Jockey Tom Bellamy go down on the 25th fence while they lead the Grand National

    Broadway Boy and Jockey Tom Bellamy fall on the 25th fence while they lead the Grand National

    Broadway Boy, who suffered a heavy fall on Saturday while he led the Grand National, is “stiff and painful” but “traveling home”, have announced his connections.

    In an important sigh of relief for the sport, veterinarians in Aintree gave the seven -year -old the green light to make the journey back to Grange Hill Farm in Gloucestershire. There had been a high fear after millions of viewers shuddered when Nigel Twison-Davies crashed on the 25th fence while he led the race.

    Advertisement

    Veterinarians and employees hurried to the scene and followed a lot of attention at night, he was driven to the south on Sunday through Horse Ambulance to continue his recovery. Sam Twiston-Davies, who is the other runner of the stable in the race, running out, rode and a son of trainer Nigel, wrote on X that Broadway Boy was “stiff and painful, but all traveling home well this morning”.

    Willy Twiston-Davies, another of the sons of Nigel and an assistant in the garden, added: “Thanks for all the beautiful messages, and more important thanks to all the vets at Aintree. Broadway Boy is loaded on the horse ambulance and comes home. Such a special horse for all of us on Grange Hill Farm.”

    Viewers immediately expressed horror at the fall on Saturday, where animal rights activists seized the incident to criticize ITV because they do not provide sufficient coverage. Broadway Boy was one of the two runners who needed medical help in recent years, despite a large number of improvements led by Welzijns. Celebre d'emen, who was picked up at the run-in, also managed to walk on a horse's ambulance to return to the stables.

    Advertisement

    There was also concern for Jockey Tom Bellamy from Broadway Boy, but after extensive attention on the site, officials later confirmed that Bellamy “had been brought to Aintree University Hospital for further assessment”. Later it happened that he suffered a broken wrist in the fall.

    Safety measures to limit horse fatality and injury have never been so bigger at Aintree, although the race was delayed for 15 minutes two years ago when animal rights demonstrators gained access to the course, which led to more than 100 arrests.

    There were no delays on Saturday and the 34 horses left at 4 p.m. – an earlier starting time introduced as part of the new safety measures. The race was won by Nick Rockett, driven by Jockey Patrick Mullins and trained by his father Willie. This year, during the three days of the festival, there was only one horse fatalism, Willy De Houelle, driven by former Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore, who fell about obstacles on the opening day.

    Johnson White, joint trainer of Celebre d'emen, said that the horse made 'good progress'. He told Telegraph: “It is all very positive news. He has made very good progress at night. He now travels to a garden for an hour away from Aintree, where his owner has horses, so that he can rest and recover instead of having a five -hour trip in the truck. It is all very positive.”