1 month ago
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GRAND NATIONAL horse Celebre D’Allen died two days after collapsing on the track.
The 13-year-old horse was pulled up after the final fence of the historic Aintree race on Saturday.
Celebre D’Allen passed away following its run in the Grand National on SaturdayPA
PAJockey Micheal Nolan received a ten-day ban for the ride, continuing to keep the horse in the race until after the final jump despite its struggling.
The British Horseracing Authority ruled Nolan should have withdrawn earlier “when the horse appeared to have no more to give and was clearly losing ground after the second-last fence”.
After 33-1 shot Nick Rockett raced to victory, Celebre D’Allen fell to the grass on the track, reportedly suffering with heatstroke in the warm weather conditions.
He was assessed in a horse ambulance then kept at the racecourse before being taken to a nearby stable for further treatment.
But despite the best efforts of vets, the horse’s joint-trainer confirmed the sad news that the horse could not recover and died on Monday.
Johnson White said: “He had the best possible care, but he just took a downturn overnight and very sadly he’s passed away.”
The RHA released its own statement and confirmed all due processes were followed before and after the race – with Celebre D’Allen now set to undergo a post-mortem.
Acting Chief Executive Brant Dunshea said: “All of us at the BHA are saddened to learn of the death of Celebre D’Allen following Saturday’s Randox Grand National.
“It has been clear to see since Saturday afternoon just how much the horse meant to his connections and we send our condolences to them today.
“Celebre D’Allen received treatment from the team of expert vets after pulling up and then collapsing towards the end of the race.
“Having been immediately attended to by the teams on site, he was given all the time he needed to respond to treatment on course before being transported back to the first-class veterinary facilities at the racecourse stables, where he remained overnight, continuing to receive care and attention.
“He subsequently travelled to a nearby stud which was connected to the horse’s owners on Sunday, having shown improvement overnight.
“The BHA and Aintree racecourse will analyse the race and this incident in detail, as is the case every year and with every fatal injury in any race. This will include the horse being sent for post-mortem.”
Just 18 of the 34 starters finished Saturday’s race.
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PABHA statement in full
FOLLOWING the tragic news of the death of Celebre D’Allen on Monday evening, Brant Dunshea, Acting Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) issued the following statement:
“All of us at the BHA are saddened to learn of the death of Celebre D’Allen following Saturday’s Randox Grand National.
“It has been clear to see since Saturday afternoon just how much the horse meant to his connections and we send our condolences to them today.
“As with all runners in the Grand National, Celebre D’Allen was provided with a thorough check by vets at the racecourse.
“This health check includes a trot up, physical examination of limbs to check for any heat, pain or swelling, and listening to the heart to check for any murmur or rhythm disturbance.
“This marks the final step in an extensive process of checks to ensure a horses’ suitability to race in the National, which also includes a review of veterinary records and assessment by a Panel of experts to consider a horse’s race record and suitability to race.
“As part of this process the horse would also have been examined by the trainer’s own vet on the two occasions, a month apart.
“Celebre D’Allen received treatment from the team of expert vets after pulling up and then collapsing towards the end of the race.
“Having been immediately attended to by the teams on site, he was given all the time he needed to respond to treatment on course before being transported back to the first-class veterinary facilities at the racecourse stables, where he remained overnight, continuing to receive care and attention.
“He subsequently travelled to a nearby stud which was connected to the horse’s owners on Sunday, having shown improvement overnight.
“The BHA and Aintree racecourse will analyse the race and this incident in detail, as is the case every year and with every fatal injury in any race. This will include the horse being sent for post-mortem.
“The process of reviewing every fatality allows us to build on our existing data and help us understand how all reasonable avoidable risk can be reduced in order to keep our horses and riders as safe as possible.
“This process previously led to the changes that were made to the Grand National in 2024, including the reduction in the number of runners.
“Prior to Saturday’s race there had been no fatal injuries in the previous nine races run over the Grand National course since the 2023 National.
“The steps we have taken to improve safety over the years reflects the great respect we have for our horses, and our commitment to their safety.
“More information about welfare in horseracing can be found at www.horsepwr.co.uk.”
Bengali (BD) · 
English (US) ·