'You can't make anything in life 100 per cent safe' says Grand National trainer Sandy Thomson

Sandy Thomson says he welcomes safety changes to the Grand National, after his horse Hill Sixteen suffered a fatal fall at the first fence last year.

New measures have been introduced this year to help improve safety, including moving the first fence closer to the start and introducing a standing start to slow horses around the first corner.

Trainer Sandy Thomson said: "They're always looking to make the race safer.

"The race is completely different to how it was in about 1998 when there were huge changes and again in 2012.

"Obviously, because of what happened last year, I think they've taken very sensible steps such as move the first fence closer and making it a standing start.

"The start was always a bit of a bone of contention.

"I think very sensible steps to move the first fence closer and a standing start have been taken.

"You will never be able to take all the risk out of it - everybody knows that, but we are doing all we can to make it as risk free as possible.

"So I can see the logic of all that and i think that's a very good idea."

Sandy Thomson said "ignorant" protestors had unsettled the horse before the race.

"Everything was fairly normal, we've had runners in the Grand National before so we know the tension and excitement that's around," said Sandy Thomson as he reflected back on last year's race.

"Then suddenly there was word that people were one the course.

"The horse could't quite understand what was going on, because I was with him walking down to the paddock, walking back, taking the saddle off and putting it back on, then suddenly we were back in the parade ring, so the routine very much got disrupted.

"Everything just got very rushed and everybody got very uptight.

"Then suddenly the race started much sooner than anyone had anticipated because of the hold up, and what happened at the first fence, everybody knows.

"These people think that they're actually trying to protect animals and the problem was, a lot of them were so ignorant.

"They were wanting herds of wild horses running around, they seem to forget that the wild is a very unforgiving place and horses still get injured and break legs - and of course in the wild there's nobody there to care for them."

Animal Rising, who took part in the protests at Aintree last year issued a statement confirming they had no intention of attending this year’s Grand National

The statement read: “Last year the British public saw through the myths of the horse racing industry as a spotlight was put onto the Grand National.

“We all want to see these horses living happy lives in sanctuaries, not being raced; just as we need to see mass rewilding and a plant-based food system to really tackle our climate and nature crises.”

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