Winning jockey Maguire hits out at changes to Grand National fences

RACING:THIS YEAR'S Grand National winning jockey Jason Maguire has criticised the decision to make changes to three of the Grand National fences.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Maguire said: “From a jockey’s point of view, we say no. We’d hate to lose the character of the race.

“If you lower the fences and make things a lot easier you’re going to have horses going quicker and that might cause a problem.”

“It’s a great spectacle for people watching, it’s got millions of viewers and they watch it for that reason alone,” said Maguire, who rode Ballabriggs to victory in April.

The deaths of two horses in this year’s National prompted criticisim of the race, prompting a substantial review of the iconic race by the Aintree executive and the British Horseracing Authority.

They examined every race run over the fences at the spring meeting since 1990, when Becher’s Brook and Valentine’s Brook were last remodelled. It was found that the first, fourth and Becher’s Brook (the sixth fence) contributed to the greatest number of incidents of all falls.

It was decided to adjust the landing side of Becher’s, reducing the drop (the difference in height between the level of the ground on take-off and landing) by five inches.

It was also decided to level the first fence to remove contours on the landing side, and to reduce the height of the fourth fence by two inches. The height of all toeboards is also to be increased.

“It’s very sad when horses do get fatal injuries but in every walk of this sport you’re going to have deaths,” said Maguire.

“When horses are involved you’re going to have fatal injuries, even racing just during the week with normal park horses you’ll have fatal injuries. It comes in every walk of life.

“The way it is at the minute, the fences are big and you have to have horses back on their hocks to actually go and jump the fences – and jockeys aren’t in such a hurry because they realise the horses have to jump off their hocks.

“If you make the fences lower people might end up going quick and that could be a problem.”

The fences will have been changed in time for this December’s meeting.

AINTREE: Course changes for 2012

Bechers Brook:drop to be reduced by between four and five inches.

First fence: to remain the same size, but be levelled to remove several minor contours on landing side.

Fourth fence: to be rebuilt and reduced in size by two inches to 4ft 10in.

Toe boards: height to be increased to 14in, in line with ordinary fences.

Further recommendations:

Creation of a new post-race washdown and cooling area off-course.

Introduction of flexibility in race conditions to allow shortening or removal of pre-race parade in warm weather conditions.